It has been over 40 years since events took place, so inevitably some of those involved will be unable to participate in the inquiry. Peter Wright, for example, who was Chief Constable of the South Yorkshire Police from 1983-1990 died in 2011. Indeed, the fact that key figures have either died or subsequently moved on from their positions within the police force was one of the principal reasons <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37831034" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Conservative government ruled out an inquiry into the Battle of Orgreave in 2016.</a>

As regards to evidence, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jul/20/orgreave-inquiry-why-now-and-what-are-the-crucial-questions-it-seeks-to-answer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the inquiry will have the power to request documents that have remained classified on grounds of national security</a>, including the police operational plan for 18 June 1984, which has never been made public. Furthermore, the inquiry will likely want to get to the bottom of recent revelations that <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgnj9vgjmyo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documents related to events at Orgreave were destroyed by Northumbria Police in 2024</a>. In its ambition to establish the truth, the inquiry may well uncover institutional failings, corruption and criminality.