UK Covid pandemic inquiry to open as victims' relatives condemn 'farce'

Two women wear face masks while walking past the National Covid Memorial Wall on the south bank of river Thames in London, Tuesday, October 4, 2022. © Alberto Pezzali, AP

An inquiry probing the UK government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic kicks off Tuesday with the investigation mired in controversy even before the first witness is called.

The inquiry chair, retired senior judge Heather Hallett, has called for ex-prime minister Boris Johnson's unredacted WhatsApp messages and notebooks to be handed over, prompting a legal challenge from the government of his successor Rishi Sunak.