Prime minister Gordon Brown and foreign secretary David Miliband have been emphasising that the purpose of this inquiry is to 'learn lessons' and 'make Britain's democracy, military and diplomacy stronger'. The Inquiry is not aiming to prepare the ground for further prosecutions and it's not a court of law but it can criticise or blame whoever it deems appropriate without there being any civil or criminal liability for the person who is blamed.
Nick Grief an expert in international law at the University of Bournemouth said that criminal proceedings are not the only way of holding people to account. He said "public opinion is a much more powerful way especially when you're dealing with politicians who care very much about their legacy. Courts of law have their place and they are not the be all and end all".
This inquiry could help learn lessons about respecting the rule of law. Professor Nick Grief ,said "unless it does the inquiry will not not be serving its purpose". Nick Grief was a member of the Peace Rights Inquiry and recently spoke on the legality of the war at a UN Conference on Iraq held in London. He said this inquiry must provide answers to the legal issues.
This inquiry could also help improve military missions elsewhere. Investigative Journalist Chris Ames who uncovered the first full draft of the 'sexed up dossier' of evidence used to make a case for war in Iraq feels that there may be lessons learnt that could be useful for the operations in Afghanistan.
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