About the Inquiry

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Humza Yousaf MSP, announced on 12 November 2019 that a public inquiry would be held to examine the events surrounding the death of Sheku Bayoh, the subsequent investigation and whether race was a factor. He appointed Lord Bracadale, a former High Court judge, to chair the Inquiry.

The terms of reference were announced in the Scottish Parliament on 21 May 2020. You can read and download them here.

The Inquiry team includes two assessors, Raju Bhatt and Michael Fuller QPM. An assessor is a specialist adviser whose expertise and experience will assist the Inquiry. They were appointed by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in consultation with Lord Bracadale. Read more about the role of assessors here.

Once evidence has been gathered and analysed, hearings will take place where witnesses will be called to give evidence.

The hearings will be broadcast so everyone has access to the Inquiry. They will be available to watch on the Inquiry YouTube channel. Where possible transcripts of each day's hearings will also be made available on this website. 

After the hearings Lord Bracadale will consider all the evidence and publish a report, laying out his findings and conclusions. The report can also make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths in similar circumstances. 

Evidential hearings began in May 2022. You can watch all previous hearings here.

You can read more about public inquiries on our FAQ page.