You can refer to an investigation by the people involved into the causes of a defeat or failure as an inquest. His plea came last night as party chiefs held an inquest into the election disaster. = inquiry
A body of men assembled under authority of law to inquire into any matter, civil or criminal, particularly any case of violent or sudden death; a jury, particularly a coroner's jury
{i} formal legal investigation (especially seeking a cause of death); jury assembled to participate in an inquest; results of an inquest; research, investigation
an inquest is a formal enquiry by a court into the reasons for a person's death It is presided over by a Coroner, who is an official (but not a judge) who acts in a quasi-judicial capacity in directing a jury as to the kind of decision which it should reach Usually an inquest will be held where there are suspicious circumstances surrounding the person's death or where the cause of death is unknown
A legal inquiry, before a court of law and other officers legally empowered to hold inquiries, usually to determine the cause and circumstances of a death
The inquiry by a coroner or medical examiner, sometimes with the aid of a jury, into the manner of the death of any one who has been killed, or has died suddenly under unusual or suspeicious circumcstances, or by violence, or while in prison
A legal inquiry (investigation) in a court or before court officers authorized to hold inquiries, usually to figure out the cause and circumstances of a death
When an inquest is held, a public official hears evidence about someone's death in order to find out the cause. The inquest into their deaths opened yesterday in Enniskillen