The Rt Hon Lord Justice Scott Baker
Assistant Deputy Coroner for Inner West London

Operational Note

SIS witnesses to give evidence at the Coroner’s Inquests into the Deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Mr Dodi Al Fayed

20 February 2008

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Next week Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) staff will be giving evidence at the Coroner’s Inquest into the Deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Mr Dodi Al Fayed. These witnesses will be giving live evidence from court room 73.

In order to protect the identities of those giving evidence, they will be identified by letters or numbers rather than their names and their physical appearance will be concealed. In most courts this second aspect would be achieved by erecting a screen. However, because of the availability of the annex, the public and media will be located there with the benefit of an audio link. A full transcript will be provided. No video links will be available. The Coroner, jury, court officials, interested persons, witnesses and their respective solicitors and counsel will be in Court 73 and have the benefit of seeing the witnesses.  

Full details of the days on which SIS witnesses will be giving evidence are provided on this website: http://www.scottbaker-inquests.gov.uk/sitting_days/index.htm

Notes for Editors

1. Transcripts of the court proceedings will be published, as usual, on www.scottbaker-inquests.gov.uk.
2. The procedure being adopted to protect the identities of current and former members of the intelligence agencies mirrors that common in all forms of legal proceedings. This is not a hearing in camera, because all the evidence will be heard by the public and media and will be available in transcript form. The arrangements do not apply to Sir Richard Dearlove whose identity as a former head of MI6 is public.

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