The Chilcot Inquiry: Questions related to these "Privy Counsellors"

The Iraq Inquiry chaired by Sir John Chilcot has five members:

1. Sir John Chilcot
2. Sir Lawrence Freedman
   
3. Sir Martin Gilbert
4. Sir Roderick Lyne
5. Baroness Usha Prashar

When the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, announced to Parliament the creation of the Iraq Inquiry he made the seemingly innocuous comment regarding the inquiry's membership, "I can announce that the committee of inquiry will be chaired by Sir John Chilcot and it will include Baroness Usha Prashar, Sir Roderick Lyne, Sir Lawrence Freedman and Sir Martin Gilbert. All are, or will become, Privy Counsellors."

The year in which an individual becomes a Privy Counsellor is one of the few items of information provided about individuals in the List of Privy Council Members.

If we take the time to examine the year in which the five members of the Iraq Inquiry were made Privy Counsellors, an interesting pattern emerges:

1. Sir John Chilcot - 2004
   
2. Sir Lawrence Freedman - 2009
   
3. Sir Martin Gilbert - 2009
   
4. Sir Roderick Lyne - 2009
   
5. Baroness Usha Prashar - 2009
   

Were four of the five members of the Iraq Inquiry made Privy Counsellors at, or around, the time that they were appointed as members of the Iraq Inquiry?

It looks very likely that the answer to the preceding question is "Yes".

Does membership of the Privy Council impose on members any difficulties in conducting an "independent" inquiry into wrongdoing by the Crown?

The answer to that question too is "Yes".

The reason for those difficulties lies in the wording of the Privy Council Oath.

Each of the five members of the Iraq Inquiry is so impeded in conducting an independent and open inquiry.

Four of the five members had this impediment imposed on them at, or around, the time they were appointed as members of the Iraq Inquiry.