Manchester Arena Survivors lose bid for role in public inquiry

A group of survivors of the terror attack at the Manchester Arena in 2017 have a lost a legal bid to be given “core participants” status at the public inquiry into the bombing.

A judicial review of the application was heard by Dame Victoria Sharp, the President of the Queen's Bench Division, and Mr Justice Garnham who ruled that the claim was out of time as it was made more than 14 days after the decision in April by the chairman of the inquiry, Sir John Saunders, not to extend "core participant" status to the group of 50 survivors.

Brenda Campbell QC, lawyer for the survivors, said that the failure to give them formal legal status on a par with the police, government and families of those who died, would reduce access to the proceedings and mean that they would not receive assistance to get the answers to their questions.

Counsel to the inquiry, Paul Greaney QC, said the hearings focus on those who died in the attack and survivors would be able to engage with the process, without having legal representation of their own.

The public inquiry, due to begin in September, will examine the background to the attack and emergency responses.