Press release

Public meeting in Wrexham

The Independent Review of the Waterhouse Tribunal will be holding a public meeting in North Wales next month (June 2013).

This is to give local people an opportunity to provide further evidence, in person, to the Review.

Mrs Justice Macur who is leading the Review has said that she wishes to hear from as many individuals and interested parties as possible on matters relating to her terms of reference.

The decision to host a public meeting follows the publication of the Issues Paper earlier this year.

Commenting on the announcement, Mrs Justice Macur said:

I consider it to be extremely important to make myself and my team available in a venue local to the events and circumstances which led to the “Waterhouse Inquiry” to meet with and hear from the people who were directly or indirectly involved and wish to impart information which may be significant to my review.

It is vital to engage directly with those affected by the issues central to my review.

Details

  • Who: Justice Macur and the team will host two sessions
  • Where: The Ramada Plaza Hotel in Wrexham
  • When: Tuesday 18 June, 2013 at 12:30 and then again at 18:00
  • Media: This is not a press conference. There will be an opportunity at the start of the 12:30 session for media to take pictures/film for background however there must be no sound-bites of the session itself. Recording equipment must be switched off and packed away for the duration of both sessions.

The Issues Paper can be found on the Macur Review website.

The Independent Review was established following a statement by the Secretary of State for Justice, Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, on 8 November 2012 that a review of Sir Ronald Waterhouse’s inquiry into the abuse of children in care in the Gwynedd and Clwyd Council areas would be established.

Mrs Justice Macur will make recommendations to the Secretary of State for Justice and the Secretary of State for Wales once the review is completed.

Notes to editors

The Macur Review is an independent Review established by the Government on 8 November 2012.

A private room will be available should anyone want to talk to the Review team away from the main forum.

The terms of reference for this Review are:

To review the scope of the Waterhouse inquiry, and whether any specific allegations of child abuse falling within the terms of reference were not investigated by the Inquiry, and to make recommendations to the Secretary of State for Justice and the Secretary of State for Wales.

Mrs Justice Macur’s biography:

The Hon. Mrs Justice Macur was called to the bar in 1979, and was a practising barrister in the Midland and Oxford Circuit between 1979 and 2005. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1998, and was Assistant Recorder and then Recorder of the Crown Court between 1995 and 2005, when she was appointed Judge of the High Court of Justice (Family Division). She was Presiding Judge of the Midland Circuit between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2011

A photo of Mrs Justice Macur DBE is available via the press office.

The Macur Review is one of two new enquiries relating to North Wales. Keith Bristow, Director General of the National Crime Agency, has been asked by the Chief Constable of North Wales to examine specific, recent allegations made in relation to historic abuse. The investigation, called Operation Pallial, published a Public Report on Progress on April 29 2013. Media enquiries about Operation Pallial should be directed to: Serious Organised Crime Agency Press Office: 0870 268 8100

Contacts

For all media enquiries please contact the Macur Review press office on 020 3334 3535.

For general enquiries please contact the Review team at:

Macur Review
Room TM 10.02
Royal Courts of Justice
Strand
WC2A 2LL

Email: enquiries@macurreview.gsi.gov.uk

Published 30 May 2013