Core participants (CPs) in an inquiry are individuals or organisations with a direct material interest in the events the inquiry is investigating or making findings in relation to. Usually, they will be expected to materially assist the inquiry in carrying out its Terms of Reference in some fashion, often by providing disclosure or a witness statement. CPs have more rights than witnesses, including being allowed to make legal representations around procedure and evidence giving, making Opening and Closing Statements, and some advance notice of material (at the Chair’s discretion).
The Inquiry states:
A core participant is someone who has played, or may have played, a direct and significant role in the subject the Inquiry relates to. They can also be a person or group that has a significant interest in the Inquiry or may be subject to significant or explicit criticism as a result of the Inquiry.
Being a core participant is voluntary, based on an application to be designated as such by the Chair. There is not a requirement to be called as a witness – one can be a witness without being a CP.
In the Undercover Policing Inquiry, (UCPI) there are 249 core participants, though some of these are unincorporated associations of multiple people; they include both police and those spied upon or otherwise affected by the scandal. They also included police organisations. Many of the undercovers are not core participants in their own right but represented through the Designated Lawyers, though some are - in which case the are represented by (DAC Beachcroft , previously by Slater & Gordon ).
It is entirely at the discretion of the Inquiry Chair who is appointed as a core participant. CPs can voluntarily withdraw as such at any point, albeit if they wish they can still be part of the witness process without having to be re-designated a core participant, if the Inquiry is still interested in hearing from them.
According to the Inquiry Rules 2006, in making a decision whether to designate someone or an organisation as a core participant, the inquiry’s Chair should consider:
(a) the person played, or may have played, a direct and significant role in relation to the matters to which the inquiry relates;
(b) the person has a significant interest in an important aspect of the matters to which the inquiry relates; or
(c) the person may be subject to explicit or significant criticism during the inquiry proceedings or in the report, or in any interim report.
In the UCPI, a number of non-state applicants have been turned down, with reasons given including not having demonstrated relevance to the Inquiry's scope or being out of time.
Core participants are also entitled to legal representation to represent their interests in the Inquiry. For the most part, the UCPI has recognised their preferred lawyers (Recognised Legal Representatives) for individuals who have been granted CP status (this is not true of all inquiries).
With the exception of large organisations, such as trade unions or policing bodies, the Inquiry has also granted Costs Orders, permitting the Inquiry to fund this legal representation.
The majority of core participants were designated as such at the first procedural hearing of the Inquiry in October 2015. Initially, 380 people had applied for CP status. The Inquiry Chair designated 150 people and groups as CPs. The remaining individuals were invited to make their case at this hearing. This was the only such hearing with the rest of the applications being done entirely on paper.
In the Undercover Policing Inquiry, core participants have been classed by the Inquiry according to predefined categories:
- A: Police institutions (National Crime Agency, National Police Chiefs’ Council, College of Policing, Metropolitan Police Service, Avon and Somerset Police )
- B: Government (Home Office)
- C: Police officers
- D: Political organisations and politicians (‘elected representatives’)
- E: Trade unions and trade union members
- F: Relatives of deceased individuals (relating to Dead Children’s Identities)
- G: Relating to the Stephen Lawrence justice campaign
- H: Individuals in relationships with undercover officers (Relationships)
- I: Miscarriages of Justice (including Drax, Fairford Coach, Good Easter Hunt Sab, Ratcliffe on Soar, SHAC)
- J: Justice Campaigns
- K: Political activists
- L: Social and Environmental activists
- M: Families of police officers
- N: Other
For the most part, the categories play little effective role in the procedural work of the Inquiry to date.
Categories D to L are classed as non-state non-police core participants (NSCPs). They organise as such among themselves through the NSCPs’ Coordinating Group.
Category M is considered a distinct grouping with its own set of interests. Category N was introduced in 2024 and its only member is 'TBS', the son of HN10 Robert Lambert, who had originally within category H.