The public inquiry into the actions of Lucy Letby, a former neonatal nurse convicted of murdering babies, will continue despite requests for a pause in proceedings.

Lady Justice Thirlwall, the inquiry chair, rejected these calls during a ruling issued on Wednesday.

Letby, who is currently serving multiple life sentences, has been the subject of a complex legal battle following her conviction for murdering seven infants and attempting to kill seven others between 2015 and 2016.

Defense lawyers for Letby argued that significant evidence exists that could undermine her guilty verdicts, claiming that continuing the inquiry could be misguided.

However, Thirlwall clarified that her investigation is designed to scrutinize the actions of Medical staff and hospital executives at the Countess of Chester Hospital, not just Letby’s actions.

The inquiry has been ongoing since September 2023 and has involved testimonies from hundreds of witnesses as Thirlwall investigates the circumstances surrounding the tragic deaths and non-fatal collapses of infants in the care of Letby.

A report is expected to be published in November.

Recent calls to suspend the inquiry also came from former hospital executives, including ex-CEO Tony Chambers, citing a belief that there might be a “real likelihood” of Letby’s innocence.

Concerns intensified after a panel of international medical experts, convened by Letby’s legal team, asserted that no conclusive medical evidence tied her to the harm or deaths of the infants she was charged with attacking.

Letby has consistently maintained her innocence throughout the judicial processes, which include two unsuccessful attempts to overturn her convictions at the Court of Appeal.

Currently, her case is being reviewed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) in light of new evidence presented by various experts last month.

The families of the deceased infants have reacted critically to the calls for suspension of the inquiry, asserting that these appeals are attempts by Letby and hospital executives to evade accountability.

Lady Justice Thirlwall indicated that the suspension of the inquiry would prolong the process unnecessarily, potentially inflating costs—currently estimated at nearly £10 million—and impacting the integrity of the inquiry's findings.

Thirlwall highlighted previous concessions made by hospital staff that acknowledge a failure in safeguarding measures and indicated that this will be a consideration in her final report.

Amidst ongoing discussions, Thirlwall dismissed suggestions that the inquiry be amended to explore alternative causes of death, terming such propositions as attempts to undermine the established criminal convictions.

In response to the ruling, Mark McDonald, Letby’s barrister, asserted that the findings of the inquiry could be regarded as unreliable, referencing what he termed overwhelming evidence suggesting Letby’s convictions are unsafe.

He underscored his commitment to presenting these concerns in upcoming court hearings.

Amidst the inquiry’s developments, Lady Justice Thirlwall reiterated the importance of maintaining focus on the grave implications of the case, emphasizing the need for accuracy in the evaluation of its consequences and findings.