2025 Fatal Accident Inquiry Review – call for evidence
Overview
This call for evidence by the 2025 Fatal Accident Inquiry Review aims to gather views on the Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) system in terms of the efficiency, effectiveness and trauma-informed nature of investigations into deaths in custody and the specific barriers that families face in engaging with the process.
More information on the review, including the full remit, can be found on the Review webpage Justice: 2025 Fatal Accident Inquiry Review - gov.scot. The Review is wholly independent of Scottish Government, but has chosen to use existing platforms to gather views, in order to work and report quickly.
In this call for evidence the Chair, Sheriff Principal Abercrombie would like to hear from those with experience of the Fatal Accident Inquiry system.
He is particularly interested in hearing from individuals with
- direct experience, either personal or professional, of the system
- an interest in the system itself or the experiences of those who interact with it, for example academic or research professionals
- experience of other systems that might offer examples of alternative methods or approaches
He is also particularly interested in hearing from organisations with insight into the experience of interacting with the FAI system, or other systems of investigating deaths in custody.
The Secretariat to the Review will collate all responses. They will be shared with the Chair and, if he considers that it would be helpful to the work of the Review, also with the Advisory Group.
Call for Evidence questions preview
The questions are included here as an overview. Please click 'Begin consultation' at the bottom of this page to start answering questions.
- Please summarise your experience of, or interest in, the Fatal Accident Inquiry system.
- In your view, what is a Fatal Accident Inquiry for and do they achieve that?
- In your view, what does not work well in the system and what would make it better?
- In your view what works well in the system, and should be kept if changes are made?
- Do you have any comments to make on Fatal Accident Inquiry reporting?
- Do you have any sources of information that you would like to bring to our attention?
- Is there anything else that you would like us to know?
How to complete this form online
We know that not everyone will wish or feel able to answer all of the questions in this Call for Evidence. Please consider all of them, before answering the ones that you feel best suit your circumstances. As you complete your response, each page will provide the option to 'Save and come back later' at the bottom. This means you can save your progress and return to the consultation at any time before it closes. If you don't use this feature and leave the consultation midway through, your response will be lost.
Once you have submitted your response, you can enter your email address to get a pdf copy of your submission.
On the 'About You' page at the end of this consultation, organisations have the opportunity to tell us more about their work and/or how their response was informed. You will also have the chance to indicate whether you are happy for the Chair or the Secretariat to contact you in relation to your response.
After the consultation has closed there will be a delay before any responses are published. This is because we must check any responses to be published abide by our Terms of Use.
Why your views matter
The information you provide will be used to inform the Review. It will be considered alongside other responses to the call for evidence, published research, previous reviews, and conversations with those involved in the system, with the aim of developing recommendations for change by the end of 2025.
This call for evidence is open for six weeks, but you do not need to wait until the closing date to submit your response.
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