7/7 survivors end battle for public inquiry into bombings

Lawyer says clients drop bid as successful challenge against government unlikely and to avoid ‘further unnecessary distress’ Survivors and relatives of those who died in the 7 July bombings have abandoned their legal attempt to force the government to hold a public inquiry into the attacks, acknowledging that proceedings would be likely to be unsuccessful and would cause “further unnecessary distress”. Fifty-two people were killed and more than 700 injured by four suicide bombers on the London transport network in 2005. An inquest into the murders, presided over by the high court judge Lady Justice Hallett, found in May that the attacks could not be blamed on failures by MI5 and that it was unlikely that any of those who died would have survived had the emergency service response been swifter. After the verdicts a number of bereaved relatives said important questions remained unanswered. They called for an independent public inquiry to examine, in particular, the question of whether the attacks could have been prevented. But the solicitor for 25 survivors and bereaved family members who were challenging the government’s decision not to hold a public inquiry has confirmed that they will drop their legal proceedings – signalling, in effect, that all formal inquiries into the bombings are now at an end. Clifford Tibber, of Anthony Gold solicitors, said the coroner had investigated “many important aspects” of the roles played by MI5 and the emergency services, and that the agencies involved were addressing the failures she identified. “Against that background our clients recognise that any inquiry into those matters into which the coroner has inquired would cause further unnecessary distress to the bereaved families, those [who] survived and the individual members of the emergency services who attended the scenes,” Tibber said. He added that his clients had also acknowledged that their legal challenge stood a limited chance of success, and so had concluded that they had little option but to withdraw the action. “We waited over five years before this inquest began – a long time to wait,” said Ros Morley, whose husband, Colin, was killed in the Edgware Road bombing. “Over the past year the process itself has been mentally and emotionally tiring and at times, such as when I was in court for three weeks for the Edgware Road atrocity, utterly exhausting. “Some positive changes have been achieved through the recommendations for improvements in systems. It is to be hoped that this includes great improvements to the security services.” Ben Thwaites, who survived the same attack, said: “It would appear that official lines have now, after much resistance, been closed to us. I feel that there are lessons that could have been learned, actions that could have been taken to protect others and truths that could have been shared that have been brushed aside. I can only hope that this does not lead to unnecessary loss of life in the future.” The families and survivors launched proceedings in 2007 to seek a judicial review of a decision by the-then home secretary, John Reid, not to hold a

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