Hutton Inquiry

The Hutton Inquiry examined the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly in July 2003, following his identification as the source of a BBC report about the government's Iraq weapons dossier. Lord Hutton's report, published in January 2004, found that the BBC report was 'unfounded' and that the government had not acted improperly in naming Dr Kelly. The inquiry made no formal recommendations.

The report's findings led to immediate resignations at the BBC, including Chairman Gavyn Davies, Director-General Greg Dyke, and reporter Andrew Gilligan. The BBC commissioned the Neil Report (June 2004), which proposed reforms to editorial and management processes. These reforms were reflected in the BBC Charter 2006, which replaced the Board of Governors with the BBC Trust and introduced strengthened editorial guidelines.

The BBC College of Journalism was established in 2005 as part of these reforms, though it closed in 2013. The BBC Trust itself was replaced by the BBC Board under the 2017 Charter. The Butler Review (2004) subsequently examined the use of intelligence in the Iraq dossier, reaching different conclusions about the presentation of intelligence material.

The Hutton Inquiry remains significant in discussions about the scope and independence of public inquiries. Its narrow terms of reference, focusing solely on Dr Kelly's death rather than broader questions about the Iraq war, continue to influence debates about how public inquiries are established and conducted.