About the Inquiry

Iain Packer was convicted of the murder of Emma Caldwell on 28 February 2024, 19 years after her death. Despite Iain Packer being identified by the police during the initial investigation, he was only convicted of Emma’s murder in 2024.  

The Emma Caldwell Inquiry was announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in March 2024, and Lord Scott, a high court judge, was appointed as Chair the following month. 

The Inquiry’s terms of reference were published by Ministers on 9 December 2025. The terms of reference are critically important to the work of the Inquiry as they set the parameters within which the Inquiry can operate and the broad areas the Inquiry can investigate. They do not attempt to present a definitive list of all the areas the Inquiry can investigate.   

The focus of the Inquiry is the investigation carried out by Strathclyde Police, under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, into the murder of Emma Caldwell.