Grenfell Fire Prosecutions: Survivors Face Years of Waiting for Justice

The Metropolitan Police have sent files to the Crown Prosecution Service recommending charges against 77 individuals and organisations for their roles in the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, a development that has brought relief mixed with grief and anger among survivors. On June 14, the ninth annual silent walk will take place around the west London neighbourhood where the ruined tower still stands, and next year marks a decade since the disaster.

A public inquiry found multiple public and private bodies, decisions and individuals at fault, including three construction firms—Arconic, Kingspan and Celotex—for deliberately dishonest conduct regarding their products. Central government was criticised for poor regulation of building safety, while Kensington and Chelsea Council and its tenant management organisation faced strong criticism for fire safety lapses, as did architects and contractors involved in the tower’s refurbishment. The London Fire Brigade was deemed culpable for its dangerous stay-put policy, which should have been revised after previous cladding fires, including the 2009 Lakanal House fire that killed six people.

The inquiry’s conclusions and 58 recommendations were delivered in September 2024, but the prospect of criminal trials remains painfully remote. Prosecutors are expected to decide on charges by next June, with cases unlikely to reach court before 2028 at the earliest. Grenfell Next of Kin said the announcement had left their confidence in the system “shattered,” while Grenfell United stated survivors “cannot be expected to endure years more of delay.”

Campaigners note that criminal law does not ordinarily take this long. The Metropolitan Police defend the pace, calling it the most complex investigation they have ever conducted. The inquiry assembled a massive body of evidence that will feature prominently in any court case. Whether blame lies with the police, the decision by Theresa May’s government to prioritise a public inquiry, or the uncooperative approach of some witnesses, the protracted process has increased suffering and bitterness.

Criminal convictions have never been the only outcome sought. Campaigners welcomed the inquiry’s findings and recommendations. Multimillion-pound settlements have been agreed in civil suits, and earlier this year the government pledged dedicated funding for a long-planned memorial. Building regulation is being overhauled, and a cladding removal programme continues.

Frustration persists over the pace of change and concern that laws on corporate manslaughter and negligence are too weak. Last year, the Common Wealth thinktank warned of the “very high threshold for liability” and called for tougher penalties to ensure meaningful deterrence. Some firms responsible for the Grenfell fire continue to win public contracts, causing further distress.

Despite the outpouring of sympathy after the fire and the tenacity of survivors who have campaigned for building safety and justice, the accountability and resolution they have sought since 2017 remain a long way off.

Prosecutors must now take the baton from the police and move as quickly as they can, the editorial concludes.