Barrister appointed to Carl Sargeant inquiry
PAUL Bowen QC, a London barrister regarded as a leading specialist in public law, will chair an independent inquiry into events leading up to the death of former Welsh Government Minister Carl Sargeant.
Mr Sargeant apparently committed suicide four days after being removed from his post as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children by First Minister Carwyn Jones.
He was told that unspecified allegations of sexual harassment had been made against him, although he was not given details.
Mr Sargeant’s son Jack is standing for Labour in the February 6 Alyn and Deeside by-election caused by his father’s death.
A spokesman for the Sargeant family issued a statement saying: “The family have agreed to the appointment of Paul Bowen QC to chair the independent inquiry into the events leading up to Carl’s death.
“The family hopes the inquiry can commence imminently and solicitors are working to agree terms of reference to allow this to happen.”
The Welsh Government confirmed Mr Bowen’s appointment.
There has been a delay in announcing the identity of the chairman because originally the Sargeant family did not want any involvement of the Welsh Government in setting it up.
It is understood that Permanent Secretary Dame Shan Morgan’s role was reduced to facilitating the appointment.
Mr Bowen will work with the family on agreeing the terms of reference and he will have an independent secretariat.
It is understood that it was on that basis that the family consented to Dame Shan “commissioning” the inquiry, because the Welsh Government will pay for it.
Initially the Welsh Government wanted to choose a QC, set the terms of reference and provide the secretariat.
Mr Bowen, who was called to the Bar in 1993, was described by last year’s Legal 500 – a guide to the best law firms – as “a tenacious and pugnacious advocate” and “a careful and conscientious lawyer, who pursues issues with great determination”.
He is a member of Brick Court Chambers in London, whose website states that he “practises across the spectrum of public and administrative law, often with significant human rights, EU or other international law elements. He has particular expertise in crime and regulatory cases with a public law flavour. His recent experience includes cases involving the legality of the death penalty, the government’s counter-extremism policy, cross-border taxation, data protection, the regulation of the telecoms industry and the renewable energy sector, among others.”
No timescale for the inquiry has been set.