Court blow for survivors' group over Manchester Arena bomb inquiry

A claim that a decision not to grant a formal role to a survivors' group at the forthcoming Manchester Arena bombing public inquiry was unlawful is "not arguable", senior judges have ruled.

Lawyers for more than 50 people injured in the May 2017 explosion had applied for a judicial review of the decision by inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders not to give them core participant (CP) status.

If successful, it would have allowed them, through legal representation, to obtain disclosure of evidence in advance, challenge evidence and participate in lines of inquiry.

At the High Court on Thursday, they were told that the application had failed because it was out of time.

Sitting with Mr Justice Garnham, she said the reasons for their judgment would be handed down at a later date.

Earlier this week, Dame Victoria pointed out that the matters they were concerned with was the lawfulness of Sir John's decision and not its merits.

Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, had argued that the application was "plainly" out of time and was made several weeks after the 14-day cut-off following Sir John's decision on April 21.

He said there was no good or sufficient reason for the delay and that the matter currently before the courts had diverted "very considerable" resources ahead of the inquiry starting on September 7.

Mr Greaney added that a flood of similar applications from other survivors could "overwhelm" the inquiry if the claim succeeded.

A total of 600 adults and 340 children were injured in the blast, the court heard.

He said many survivors would give evidence at the hearings and they were being encouraged to raise any issues with the inquiry team which may suggest lines of inquiry to pursue or lines of questioning to follow.

Brenda Campbell QC, for the survivors, had submitted that it was "fanciful" to expect survivors to watch more than 300 witnesses on video-link over at least six months and respond to complex evidence without legal assistance.

She told the court that survivors were not treated with any importance until they "put their hands up" to ask for CP status.

Among those already granted core participant status are the bereaved families of the 22 people killed in the explosion, along with Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, the NHS and commercial bodies related to the Manchester Arena.

Salman Abedi, 22, detonated a rucksack bomb in the foyer of the arena, known as the City Room, at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on May 22 2017, killing 22 bystanders and injuring hundreds more.

His brother, Hashem, 23, was convicted in March of murder and attempted murder and is yet to be sentenced.