The statements about how 71 of the people in Grenfell Tower died as a result of the 14 June 2017 fire bring the public inquiry near to its conclusion.
After 308 days of evidence over four years, all that is left are closing statements from the main parties under investigation and the survivors and the bereaved.
They start on 7 November, but the inquiry chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, and his team of lawyers are already working on a final report that will determine the causes of the fire and the responsibilities of those involved.
On Thursday, Moore-Bick described drawing conclusions as “a task of considerable proportions”, with more than 300,000 documents and 1,500 witness statements to process.
“Although it is possible to identify some decisions relating to the refurbishment that had an immediate effect, the wider causes of the fire have their roots in the culture of the construction industry and the regulatory regime,” he said. “Many decisions, taken by many people over the course of many years, conspired to create a building which in June 2017 was vulnerable to a catastrophic fire.”
His report will be crucial for the Metropolitan police, who are waiting for its conclusions before deciding whether to recommend that the Crown Prosecution Service bring criminal charges.
The inquiry has brought to light vast quantities of evidence that could lead to cases being brought against organisations involved in the refurbishment for charges such as fraud and gross negligence manslaughter, corporate manslaughter, and health and safety offences.
The inquiry report is expected to run to thousands of pages and is not likely to be published until 2023, which means any criminal prosecutions may not begin until 2024.
In the meantime, sprawling legal actions are rumbling through the civil court system that could result in victims, survivors and the bereaved being paid compensation.
Hundreds of bereaved people and survivors have filed civil claims that allege defendants “separately and cumulatively led to or contributed to the disaster”. A process of mediation is understood to be under way. Some firefighters and police officers are also making claims for the distress and damage they faced.
