Public inquiries
Handle sensitive, high-profile inquiries with a secure platform built for transparency, legal compliance, and public accountability.
Public inquiries operate under intense scrutiny. Whether it's a statutory inquiry into institutional failings, an independent investigation into a national crisis, or a regulatory review, these processes must demonstrate rigorous due process, handle sensitive evidence properly, and maintain public confidence throughout.
One misstep in data handling, accessibility, or transparency can undermine years of work.
Citizen Space provides the secure infrastructure for inquiries that matter - from calls for evidence through to final reporting. That's why it's been chosen for some of the highest-profile inquiries, including the UK Infected Blood Inquiry, the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, and New Zealand's Earthquake Commission Inquiry.
Have a project in mind?
Handle sensitive inquiries with confidence
Secure from the ground up
ISO 27001 certified. Data encrypted in transit and at rest. Role-based access controls. Host sensitive evidence and personal testimonies knowing your data handling meets the standards these inquiries demand.
Built for legal compliance
WCAG 2.2 AA accessible so no one is excluded from participating. GDPR compliant data handling. Clear processes for managing confidential submissions. Everything documented for potential legal review.
Manage everything in one place
Store calls for evidence, witness statements, supporting documents, and public submissions in one central, secure location. No scattered files across email, SharePoint, and paper archives.
Maintain transparency throughout
Publish inquiry updates, hearing schedules, evidence summaries, and final reports in accessible formats. Show the public how the inquiry is progressing and build confidence in the process.
We wanted to make the process of responding to the consultation as simple as possible - simple for users to express their views, and simple for us to redact, analyse and publish those responses.
Gather evidence and input at scale
Structure calls for evidence clearly
Create templates for different participant types - expert witnesses, affected parties, statutory bodies, public submissions. Use conditional questions to gather relevant detail. Make it clear what information is needed and in what format.
Accept both public and confidential submissions
Some evidence is public. Some is confidential. Handle both securely on the same platform with proper access controls and data protection.
Process responses efficiently
Export statements and submissions in structured formats. Code themes across thousands of responses. Filter by participant type or topic. Turn qualitative evidence into analysable data without compromising the detail.
Close the loop
Publish inquiry findings and recommendations. Show how evidence shaped conclusions. Demonstrate that submissions were properly considered.
How public inquiries work on Citizen Space
Phase 1: Establish the inquiry: Publish terms of reference, hearing schedules, and process documents. Make it clear how people can participate and what evidence is needed.
Phase 2: Gather evidence: Collect formal statements from witnesses, submissions from statutory consultees, technical evidence from experts, and input from affected parties. Store everything securely in one central location.
Phase 3: Public consultation: Open calls for evidence to the wider public. Gather experiences, concerns, and recommendations. Make it accessible for people to contribute without barriers.
Phase 4: Analysis and reporting: Code themes across submissions. Identify patterns in evidence. Export data for detailed analysis. Prepare findings that show how evidence was considered.
Phase 5: Publish outcomes: Release inquiry reports, recommendations, and summaries in accessible formats. Demonstrate how the inquiry reached its conclusions.
See how Citizen Space handles high-stakes public inquiries
Book a demo and we'll walk you through how Citizen Space supports the full inquiry process - from secure evidence gathering to public reporting.
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