Kiwi judge’s uncertainty over English law shocks British barristers

The New Zealand judge heading Britain’s historical child abuse inquiry has shocked barristers by admitting that she is confused by English law.

Dame Lowell Goddard is set to earn about £5 million ($9.1m) as chairwoman of the inquiry after being appointed by Theresa May, who is now Prime Minister.

The case could run for a decade — and cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds, it has emerged.

The probe is receiving up to 100 fresh allegations every week — a quarter of them referred to the police.

The largest inquiry in British legal history had already been earmarked to last about five years. But a lawyer for some of the alleged victims now says it could take “at least 10 years”.

This has sparked fury from campaigners and raised fears the probe could become “another Chilcot”, the Iraq war inquiry that took six years to complete — longer than British troops were in the country.

Some lawyers have expressed their concerns about the delays and Goddard’s handling of the inquiry.

During preliminary hearings last week, she admitted she was “unsure of local law”, when police tried to block details of an investigation going public, reported the Times.

The independent inquiry has already spent almost £18m of public money and has yet to publicly question a single witness or victim.

Lawyers can receive up to £200 an hour from public funds — while Goddard is being paid £360,000 a year.

On top of that she will get £110,000 annual rental allowance, £40,000 for flights home for her and her husband and £12,000 on yearly utility bills, according to the Telegraph.

At a hearing last week, she announced that a key investigation — into claims of abuse by the Labour peer Lord Janner — would be postponed by at least six months. It is one of 13 cases launched by the inquiry team examining alleged institutional cover-up, with other areas under scrutiny including the Catholic and Anglican churches and abuse in children’s homes in London.

Ben Emmerson, QC, counsel to the inquiry, said his team was “receiving 80 to 100 allegations a week” and that “20 to 25” of these were being referred to the police.

That means forces potentially face a deluge of 1000 new investigations a year generated by the inquiry.

There are already concerns that officers are having to devote too many resources to historical sex abuse claims. Peter Garsden, a partner with the law firm Simpson Millar — which is representing 16 alleged victims of Janner among others — said the inquiry risked being overwhelmed.

“This could take at least 10 years. There is so much material to go through.” His clients welcomed the scope of the inquiry but feared it would drag on too long.