Grenfell Tower fire: Lawyer calls for inquest instead of public inquiry asking 'What needs to be hidden?'

'Juries will come out with narrative verdicts which may be very difficult for the Government to hear,' says Sophie Khan

Grenfell Tower residents should demand an inquest rather than a public inquiry to get answers about the tragedy, according to a solicitor who acted for people affected in the 2009 Lakanal House fire.

Sophie Khan said that in an inquest the Government would “lose control” and a jury would be able to deliver its conclusion regardless of whether it was uncomfortable to hear.

In a public inquiry, such as that ordered by the Prime Minister into the fire that killed at least 17 on Wednesday, a minister will set the terms of reference, which guide how the hearings proceed.

Ms Khan told BBC Newsnight: “In an inquest they lose control of what a jury verdict will do. Juries will come out with narrative verdicts which may be very difficult for the Government to hear.

“You can't have both, you can only have one or the other. They [residents] should really be demanding an inquest.

“I'm very concerned as to why Ms May came out so quickly to say, 'public inquiry'. What is there, that she knows, that needs to be hidden?”

She added: “We have to look at the fire assessments because here there is a fire issue as well. It's not just the council we need to look at. What were the fire brigade doing? Refurbishments have been done, what tests did they do on the building?”

Ms May has said there will be a “proper investigation” following the Grenfell Tower fire, adding that if there are “any lessons to be learned they will be, and action will be taken”.

Announcing the inquiry, she added: “We need to ensure that this terrible tragedy is properly investigated. People deserve answers. The inquiry will give them.”

Downing Street declined to comment further when approached by The Independent.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said residents were “understandably very angry” that previous concerns had not been addressed in one of the wealthiest areas of the UK, calling for the inquiry’s leading judge to release an interim report over the summer.