Her Honour Deborah Taylor
Chair
Her Honour Deborah Taylor was called to the Bar in 1983, and practiced until 2005 at Crown Office Chambers in London, where her practice included medico-legal cases.
In 1998 Deborah was appointed a Recorder, and in 2005 a Circuit Judge sitting in crime. From 2013 she also sat in the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), the High Court Queens Bench Division and Administrative Court.
Between 2011 and 2013, whilst a sitting judge, Deborah was a Judicial Appointments Commissioner, and between 2013 and 2017 she was Chair of the Irene Taylor Trust (Music in Prisons).
In 2017 she was appointed a Senior Circuit Judge, Resident Judge at Southwark Crown Court and Recorder of Westminster, trying serious and complex cases including homicide. She was a member of judicial working groups on the modernisation of the criminal justice system and courts. In 2022 Deborah left the Judiciary.
Between March 2023 and April 2025 she was Chair of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service. In July 2023 she was appointed Chair of the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board and continues in that role.
Deborah is a Governing Bencher of Inner Temple and was Chair of the Scholarships Committee and the Temple Women’s Forum, before being elected Treasurer in 2022. She is also a trustee of Shakespeare’s Globe.
Rachel Langdale, KC
Counsel to the Inquiry
Rachel Langdale KC has extensive advocacy and Inquiry experience, and has been a King’s Counsel since 2009. She was appointed Counsel to the Thirlwall Inquiry (2023-2025) and was instructed as leading counsel in the Lambeth Investigation on behalf of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (2018-2021).
She has acted for core participants in a number of Inquiries, including the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry (2010-2012).
Rachel was a member of the Bar Council Ethics Committee for many years, including chairing the Ethics Committee between 2017-2020. She was appointed as a Bencher of the Middle Temple in 2011, and is Head of Chambers at 7BR.
Farhana Rahman-Cook
Solicitor to the Inquiry
Farhana is an experienced inquiry lawyer and has held key roles in other independent inquiries. She is the Solicitor to the Andrew Malkinson Inquiry and led two phases at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry.
She represented the DHSC, a Core Participant in the Infected Blood Inquiry, and has represented witnesses on numerous other inquiries including the Iraqi Fatality Investigation, Thirlwall and Angiolini.
Farhana previously specialised in criminal defence, becoming Equity Partner and Department Head at an established criminal defence firm. She later joined the Crown Prosecution Service’s Proceeds of Crime Department as a District Crown Prosecutor. Farhana is a judicial office holder and member of the Parole Board.
Richard Mason
Secretary
As Secretary to the Inquiry, Richard’s role is to support the Chair in delivering the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference including arranging hearings and acting as the main contact between the Inquiry and the Ministry of Justice (the Inquiry’s sponsor department in government). Richard manages the Inquiry Secretariat.
He is an experienced Senior Civil Servant who has worked in many policy roles in the Ministry of Justice and, prior to the Ministry’s creation in 2007, the Home Office.