UK Covid-19 Inquiry Terms of Reference

The Government has published draft terms of reference for the public inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic. This should help the Government to learn lessons from the pandemic and prepare for the future.

Our aims are for the inquiry to take steps to hear the voices of those with protected characteristics.

We advise the Government to:

• consider how much compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty informed the response and how it might address the risk of disparities in future pandemics
• include how human rights can be better protected during future health emergencies
• ensure the inquiry adopts ‘PANEL principles’: participation, accountability, non-discrimination and equality, empowerment and legality