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On the 12 March, 2015, in a written statement, the Home Secretary Theresa May announced that she was disbanding the former inquiry into child sexual abuse and would be setting up a new statutory inquiry under the 2005 Inquiries Act. This means that the new inquiry has statutory powers to compel witnesses to determine whether State and non-State institutions have taken seriously their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse within England and Wales.
Justice Lowell Goddard, a New Zealand judge, had been appointed Chair of the Inquiry on 4 February, 2015. Following discussion with Justice Goddard the Home Secretary announced that the panel would consist of Drusilla Sharpling, Professor Alexis Jay, Ivor Frank, and Malcolm Evans. Drusilla Sharpling is a qualified barrister with expertise in both policing and the Crown Prosecution Service; Professor Alexis Jay has expertise in social work and led the important work on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham; Ivor Frank has extensive experience in family and human rights law, and expertise in child protection matters; Malcolm Evans chairs the United Nations Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture and is professor of Public International Law at the University of Bristol. Evans also brings with him a Welsh perspective, which survivors had called for. In addition, the panel will be informed by a number of expert advisers in the fields of health, education, and a psychologist with expertise in this sensitive area.
Justice Goddard will be writing to survivors and their representatives shortly to seek their views on how this panel, which will have a specific role and function in the inquiry, will work and who should be on it.
These were amended in light of feedback from survivors and in consultation with Justice Goddard. The two most important changes are the removal of any cut-off