Robert Hamill

The Robert Hamill Inquiry was established to investigate the death of Robert Hamill, who died following an incident in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, on April 27, 1997. The inquiry was set up following a recommendation by retired Canadian judge Justice Peter Cory, who was asked to examine a number of deaths in Northern Ireland. The inquiry aimed to determine whether any wrongful act or omission by or within the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) facilitated Hamill's death or obstructed the investigation, and to make recommendations based on its findings.

The inquiry was chaired by Sir Edwin Jowitt, a former Justice of the High Court, Queen's Bench Division. The terms of reference included investigating whether any wrongful act or omission by or within the RUC facilitated Hamill's death or obstructed the investigation, whether such acts or omissions were intentional or negligent, and whether the investigation was carried out with due diligence.

The inquiry lasted approximately five years, from 2004 to 2009, and involved extensive public hearings and the examination of numerous witnesses and pieces of evidence. The inquiry's findings highlighted significant failures in the RUC's handling of the incident and the subsequent investigation. It concluded that there were serious shortcomings in the RUC's response to the incident and that these failures contributed to the death of Robert Hamill.

The inquiry made several recommendations aimed at improving police practices and ensuring that similar incidents would not occur in the future. These recommendations included enhancing training for police officers, improving the handling of complaints and investigations, and ensuring greater accountability within the police force.

The exact cost of the inquiry is not specified in the sources I found, but it is known that such inquiries can be quite expensive due to the extensive legal and administrative work involved.

In summary, the Robert Hamill Inquiry investigated the death of Robert Hamill and found significant failures in the RUC's handling of the incident and the investigation, leading to several recommendations to improve police practices and accountability.