Grenfell Tower Inquiry comes to an end after four years

By Hannah Neary, Local Democracy Reporter

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry has come to an end after four years but survivors and bereaved families won’t see the final report until 2023.

More than five years after the blaze which killed 72 people, former Grenfell residents and relatives of the victims still face a long wait for justice.

Hearings from Phase 2 of the inquiry came to a close on Thursday, July 21. In the last and 85th week of hearings, presentations were read out by lawyers revealing the harrowing last moments of those who died.

On Wednesday, Imran Khan QC told the inquiry how the parents of five-year-old Isaac Paulos struggled to save him from the blaze. Isaac, who lived on the 18th floor of the tower, died as his family tried to flee on June 14.

Mr Khan said Isaac was an Arsenal fan like his dad, enjoyed school, and was “gifted at maths and reading”.

He said: “No parent should outlive, or expect to outlive, their child. No parent should have to risk their life to save their child’s.”

The inquiry has cost £150million so far and the first hearings began in May 2018. But a solid ruling on what caused the events on June 14 – including how the fire was able to spread so quickly – won’t be reached until at least next year.

Former judge and chairman of the inquiry Sir Martin Moore-Bick will determine the facts of how the fire happened and make future recommendations in a report, which is expected to be published in 2023.

No criminal or civil prosecutions will take place until after the report is published and the Crown Prosecution Service could take months to decide whether to go ahead with proceedings before any trials begin.

Multiple witness testimonies and written accounts have pieced together a picture of what caused the fire and the horrific experiences of those who survived and died in the tragedy.

By the end of June 2022, about 320,000 documents had been submitted to the inquiry while almost 650 people have given evidence as core participants.

Phase 1 of the inquiry looked at the events as they unfolded on June 14, 2017. Hearings ended in December 2018 and Sir Moore-Bick’s report was published in October 2019 with 46 recommendations.

The Home Office said 21 of the recommendations have been incorporated into UK law so far.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has also revealed a new Fire Reform White Paper but it clashes with a recommendation from Phase 1.