Public inquiries are ­horrendously expensive and often serve to make dozens of lawyers richer while the public is none the wiser at the conclusion.

So if you are going to have one then there is no point in excluding some of the key issues at the outset. In the case of Sheku Bayoh’s 2015 death in custody, a bone of contention has been whether there was enough evidence to charge the police involved and, if so, why it didn’t happen.

It is ridiculous that an ­examination of these points was omitted from the terms of reference of the inquiry which is ongoing in Edinburgh. Sheku’s family are quite right to be outraged that Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell is now prepared to go to court in an attempt to avoid the scope of the probe being widened to include these crucial matters.

The force has already spent an eye-watering £22.2million of public money – mainly on the best lawyers money can buy – to defend the actions of officers involved in the case. When added to the £25million the inquiry has cost to set up and run, and the further millions being spent by all of the other parties, the final bill will be staggering.

It is essential that by the conclusion everything possible is known so that every possible lesson can be learned. It remains unclear if race did play a part in Sheku’s death, if police used unreasonable force or if prosecutions should have taken place. No stone should be left unturned in finding out.

Farrell should not be using taxpayers’ money to avoid that happening even if it may result in institutional reputational damage. The police and the Crown Office are there to enforce the law, they are not above it or above scrutiny.

Totting up kilt trouble

Glenmorangie bosses thought they had plaid a blinder by signing Harrison Ford up to promote their brand. But the whisky maker has been told to take the high road by kiltmakers who discovered the outfit worn by the actor wasn’t created in Scotland.

Instead a London-based firm famous for skateboarding attire supplied the Highland dress. It has left a bad taste in the mouths of many in the industry. Oh well, at least the whisky is still made in Scotland.

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