Press notices

Judicial Communications Office

News Release

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6 June 2007

22/07

Appointment of Secretary and Solicitor
to the Inquests into the Deaths of
Diana, Princess of Wales & Mr Dodi Al Fayed

Two official appointments have been made to assist with the running of the inquests into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Mr Dodi Al Fayed.

Lee Hughes CBE has been appointed as Secretary to the inquests, and Martin Smith has been appointed as solicitor, working to the Assistant Deputy Coroner and Inquest Secretariat, following a competitive tender process.

The appointments reflect the exceptional nature of the inquests and the workload this entails.

Lee Hughes CBE has been a Civil Servant for 30 years, and joins the inquests from his current post as Director of Courts Appointments at the Judicial Appointments Commission. He was Secretary to the Hutton Inquiry in 2003-04.

Martin Smith is a Partner in the Public and Regulatory Law Group at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP (FFW). He joined FFW as a partner from Clifford Chance in November 2004. Mr Smith has worked on – amongst other inquiries – the Hutton Inquiry. He has extensive relevant experience in helping deliver an independent and fair process under intense public and media scrutiny

Notes for Editors

1. Some further biographical detail on Lee Hughes CBE:

Lee Hughes spent 24 of his 30 years in the Civil Service at the Home Office, mainly in the Criminal Justice and Police departments. He was lead official on the Freedom of Information and Data Protection policy areas from 1998 to 2003, and moved to the Department for Constitutional Affairs when these policy areas were included in a machinery of government change in 2001. He was Secretary to the Hutton Inquiry in 2003-04 and was awarded the CBE in June 2004.

2. Some further biographical detail on Martin Smith:

Martin Smith graduated from St John’s College, Oxford with a first class honours degree in 1993. After completing a Diploma in Law and the Bar Vocational course he originally trained as a barrister, before joining Rowe & Maw in 1997 and requalifying as a solicitor. He moved to Clifford Chance as an Associate in 2001, and joined Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP as a Partner in November 2004. In addition to having acted as full-time solicitor to the Hutton Inquiry, he has also worked on the Morris Inquiry (2004-5) into professional standards in the Metropolitan Police and an independent review conducted by George Staple QC for a national regulator

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