Family of dead trainee soldier win go-ahead to apply for new inquest after legal battle

Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC has granted Private Cheryl James’s family consent to apply to the High Court for a new inquest into her death, nearly a decade after it happened.

Pte James, 18, was undergoing initial training at Deepcut Barracks when she was found with gunshot wounds in November 1995. She was one of four young soldiers who died at the barracks in Surrey between 1995 and 2002, sparking allegations of bullying and abuse.

Her parents, backed by Human Rights campaign group Liberty, called for a fresh inquest into her death, lodging an application with the Attorney General for consent to apply to the High Court for one. Today a spokesman for Mr Grieve said he had granted his consent.

The spokesman said: “The application was made to the Attorney General on the basis that the original inquest made insufficient enquiry into the circumstances of her death and because new evidence is now available that was not put before the inquest in December 1995.

“The Attorney General granted his consent because he concluded that it was in the interests of justice for the application for a new inquest to go forward and to be heard by the High Court.”

The Attorney General does not have power to order a new inquest, but an application can now be made to the High Court, which can order a new inquest where it deems it is necessary.

Pte James’ parents Des and Doreen James today said: “We’re relieved and delighted by the Attorney General’s decision.

“It’s truly an emotional day –it’s been a long and painful process, with so many hurdles, but we never considered giving up.”

Liberty, which represents Pte James’ parents, applied for a new inquest after using the Human Rights Act to secure access to documents held by the authorities about the teenager’s death.

The group said it used the act to get access to documentation about Pte James’ death that her family had never seen, claiming 44 volumes of statements, documents, notes and photographs contained evidence that had never properly been examined.