The Baha Mousa Public Inquiry

Attending hearings

The address of the Inquiry, where all hearings will take place, is:

The Baha Mousa Public Inquiry
Finlaison House
15-17 Furnival Street
London
EC4A 1AB

View location map.

In accordance with the presumption of openness, the hearings will be in public to the greatest degree practicable. Members of the public and representatives of media organisations are welcome to attend open hearings. Exceptionally, the Chairman may direct that hearings shall be held in closed session, or that certain witnesses should be anonymous.

The start time for hearings will be advertised in advance on this website. Members of the public and media organisations are required to arrive at least 15 minutes before the advertised start time. Please note that space constraints mean that entry will be on a first-come, first-served basis. If necessary a queue will be formed outside Finlaison House in Took's Court, to the right of the building. Security staff will scan and search attendees as appropriate. The Inquiry reserves the right to refuse entry.

During hearings

Members of the public will sit in the public gallery within the hearing room. Anyone entering the hearing room is asked to follow certain standards of behaviour similar to those of a courtroom.

• There must be silence in the public gallery while the Inquiry is sitting. Nobody should enter or leave the hearing room during proceedings.
• Use of mobile telephones, blackberries, recording equipment, cameras and personal stereos is strictly prohibited. All such equipment must be turned off before entering the hearing room.
• The consumption of food and drink is not permitted in the hearing room.

Evidence and transcripts

The hearings themselves will be simultaneously transcribed. Verbatim transcripts will be posted to the website shortly after the close of a day’s proceedings so that anyone can follow the Inquiry's progress. Similarly, all relevant and publishable documents will be scanned into a system which will permit them to be called up onto screens in the Inquiry room and then published on the website.