Inquest Goes Secret: Spy Intelligence Heard Privately

When an individual dies unexpectedly or under suspicious circumstances, a coroner's inquest is often convened. This process aims to meticulously establish the precise conditions leading to the death. In a significant development, the initial inquest concerning Ms. Sturgess' demise was transformed into an independent inquiry.

This conversion was necessitated to permit the incorporation of classified intelligence, which was subsequently deliberated upon in private sessions. It is crucial to understand that such an inquiry operates distinctly from a conventional trial. It notably lacks a jury and a prosecution team, precluding any possibility of a guilty verdict.

Instead, the inquiry's primary mandate is to ascertain where accountability for the death lies and to articulate any pertinent lessons that can be derived from the circumstances. Presiding over the sessions, inquiry chairman Lord Hughes received testimony from a range of professionals, including NHS personnel, law enforcement officers, and members of the intelligence services, though the Skripals themselves did not participate.