In their final statements after more than four years of hearings, they said the key players were “grossly negligent”, “fraudulent” and “reckless” and urged the chairman of the inquiry, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, to be relentless in his criticism of the government’s bodies that oversee the building. security. They also challenged the companies to issue a clear apology when they address the inquiry for the final time this week. Failure to do so would mean “injustice full of injustice”. In a series of closing arguments Monday after more than 300 days of evidence, lawyers for the dead and survivors described the June 14, 2017 disaster as one of the biggest failures of the “failed state” policy. They said: “The pattern of Grenfell is the failure of anyone to take responsibility either then or now.” Danny Friedman KC, representing dozens of families, reminded Moore-Bick of the community’s demand for justice and said while the inquest “cannot make determinations of civil or criminal liability, it can pave the way for both”. While pleased that the inquest has revealed truths about what caused the fire, many survivors are frustrated that it has delayed criminal justice as the Metropolitan Police said criminal charges can only be considered after the inquest report is published, which is expected later in 2023. Arconic, the US company that made the highly flammable cladding panels, was the first of those named by Stephanie Barwise KC, representing a group of survivors, in a “rogues’ gallery” as being responsible for the speed with which the fire developed and spread. by architect Studio E, and firefighter Exova. Among those responsible for exacerbating the effects of the fire were the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the tenant management organisation, he said. RBKC housing director Laura Johnson rejected an annual inspection program of door closers due to cost despite the fire department’s request. On the night of the fire, many clichés were missing, helping to spread the fire and deadly smoke. “This conscious cost-benefit analysis with human life as a cost was not a legitimate way for a local authority to behave,” Barwise said. Celotex, which manufactured most of the flammable insulation used in the tower, and Kingspan, another manufacturer, “were fraudulent in their sales tactics and in their dealings with those charged with testing and certifying the products,” said Adrian Williamson KC. Studio E, Harley, the facade contractor and Exova were “grossly negligent”, said Michael Mansfield KC. The companies will give their final statements later this week, but each has previously denied serious wrongdoing and argued that their actions were in line with regulations at the time. Lawyers also challenged Moore-Bick to ensure his recommendations were implemented after the government rejected a key request from the first phase of the inquiry that disabled people living in high-rises should have personal evacuation plans. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. They argued that Grenfell was “a human rights disaster, a systematic failure of state and private actors to protect people’s lives, safety and dignity” and that institutional racism “tainted every aspect of the disaster”. Of the people who died in the fire, 85% were from ethnic minorities. Greed was a key motivation and the private sector organizations involved in the renovation had shown “a callous disregard for anything – ethics, honesty, safety of life – that did not relate to the essence of the business”, Imran Khan KC said. There was a “failure of human accounting”, said Williamson, who added that “rogue companies” were operating “shamelessly”. In the case of Kingspan, which used a small amount of flammable insulation at Grenfell, the bodies charged with overseeing them “acknowledged their fraudulent behaviour”. Friedman said the inquiry had revealed “a host of public sector services in decline, including the privatization of local authority housing management and the substandard functioning of building control” which was “accelerated as part of the austerity policy following the global financial crash. “. The investigation continues.
