KEY POINTS: CHAPTER 11 • Public hearings distinguish national inquiries from all other methodologies used by NHRIs. They are the key to achieving the national inquiry’s objectives. • The inquiry team needs to plan the public hearings carefully to ensure that the inquiry is able to hear from all those it needs to hear from, if necessary through careful selection of witnesses at each public hearing. • The hearings need to be accessible and conducted in as many places as possible to ensure that the inquiry presents an accurate “national picture” in its report. This is particularly important in countries with both national and state or provincial governments. • The individual situation of each witness needs to be taken into account in the preparation so that the hearings proceed as smoothly as possible, respectful of the witnesses who appear. • A key part of preparing the hearings is determining how they will be arranged or structured, that is, which witnesses and issues should be considered at which particular hearings during the course of the inquiry. • Evidence given in the public hearings needs to be recorded in some form so that it can be easily accessible for use in the inquiry’s report. • The inquiry should determine whether and when it would be appropriate to use the NHRI’s powers to support its investigation. • The hearings should generally be as public as possible and open especially to the media, NGOs and interested members of the public. Chapter 11: Conduct public hearings | 57