Will Grenfell Inquiry report provide justice?

More than seven years after one of Britain's most catastrophic fires killed 72 people in the Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, the final report of a long-running inquiry has outlined the causes of the fire and the severe failings that led to it.

It pointed to central and local government for "decades of failure" and to "dishonest" manufacturers for the spread of the combustible cladding that lined the high-rise building. It said they created a "path to disaster" which, combined with the "shortcomings" of the fire brigade, led to the tragedy.

Despite the criticisms, there are concerns that the report will do little to bring justice for those who died in the fire. The government is not legally required to follow the recommendations set out by the inquiry and any police prosecutions are unlikely to emerge for two to three years.

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What did the commentators say?

A "web of blame" has emerged from the report with findings of "incompetence, dishonesty, malpractice and indifference", said Robert Booth in The Guardian, but there is "no Poirot moment" where a "single guilty party is exposed".

Instead, it "found fault with virtually everyone involved" in Grenfell's refurbishment in 2015 for turning the building into what the report labelled a "death trap", said Mark Landler in The New York Times.

The tragedy has "haunted Britain" ever since, added Landler, and it has become a "politically charged symbol of the costs of deregulation and of the persistent social inequality in Britain’s capital".

Yet there is unlikely to be a swift and simple road to justice. The victims' relatives "expressed satisfaction" that a "chain of culpability" had been established by the report, but remained "frustrated" that "people had not yet been brought to justice".

Despite the inquiry's findings, nothing has been "concluded in a real way", Yvette Williams from campaign group Justice4Grenfell said in The Mirror. Although recommendations have been made, for the families of victims and those who lost their homes it is "just another step" and "not a day of justice” until "real" punishment is dispensed.

Many of those affected had "lost faith in the process" before the delayed report was even published given the "agonising", said Ayshea Buksh at the BBC, and remain "sceptical" that it will serve any justice. They wanted "a police inquiry first before this enormous and expensive public inquiry", but will now face a further wait for any police action.

What next?

"Attention will next turn to Scotland Yard", wrote Booth in The Guardian, which said it would investigate "58 individuals and 19 organisations for possible crimes" including corporate and individual manslaughter.

The police said that it was necessary to wait for the conclusion of the inquiry before launching its criminal investigation and, given the complexity of the case, any charges are "unlikely to come before late 2026", said The Independent.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government would "carefully consider the report and its recommendations" to ensure a similar disaster "cannot occur again". However, he said a "further and more in-depth debate" on the findings would be "held at a later date".