Overview
- Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer cited six previous inquiries and official advice that sealed records offer no new insights in his letter to families.
- The Ministry of Defence sealed crash-related documents until 2094 under data-protection grounds, a decision families argue breaches their Article 2 rights to truth.
- Campaigners are demanding a judge-led public inquiry and a statutory duty of candour for all public bodies, accusing the MoD of ignoring critical airworthiness concerns flagged by test engineers.
- The Chinook Justice Campaign was formed after a 2024 BBC documentary exposed the sealed files and unites relatives of the 29 personnel, including senior intelligence officers and special forces crew.
- Families plan to initiate judicial review proceedings to challenge both the MoD’s withholding of records and the prime minister’s refusal of a new inquiry.