Grenfell inquiry: Oral evidence won’t be used to prosecute cladding staff
Cladding companies have been given assurances that their oral submissions to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry will not be used to prosecute them for any role in the blaze.
Attorney general Suella Braverman announced today that she had made the decision, after staff from companies involved requested that they be protected.
Phase two of the inquiry opened in January, however it was soon stalled when lawyers from the companies and architects involved in revamping the tower submitted the request.
Many of the witnesses from these companies were not prepared to submit evidence to the inquiry, without the guarantee.
Braverman today wrote to inquiry boss Sir Martin Moore-Bick to inform him of the decision, which will only count for oral submissions and not written ones.
“The undertaking I am providing to the inquiry means it can continue to take evidence from witnesses who otherwise would likely refuse to answer questions,” she said.
“These questions are important to finding out the truth about the circumstances of the fire.
“The undertaking will not jeopardise the police investigation or prospects of a future criminal prosecution.”
Braverman’s call was met with concern from survivors group Grenfell United, who called it a “sad day”.
In a statement, the group said: “The people responsible for knowingly encasing our families in a death trap and the people that allowed them to do it must face the full force of the law.
“We expect criminal prosecutions at the end of this and will not settle for anything less.”
Phase one of the inquiry only looked into the night of the 2017 tragedy, while the second phase will investigate the causes of the blaze.
Phase one found that the London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) “serious shortcomings” contributed to the 72 deaths.
The report found that “institutional” failures meant that firefighters were not trained well enough to handle the fire.
It also found that the advice they gave to Grenfell residents – to stay and wait in the burning building – was a contributing factor to how many people died.