The London Assembly has urged that charging decisions in relation to the Grenfell Tower fire be made before the disaster’s tenth anniversary, after members backed a motion by 20 votes to one on 5 November.
The motion welcomed the Metropolitan Police submitting all its files on the Grenfell Tower fire to the Crown Prosecution Service so that charging decisions can be made, and it noted the CPS’s commitment to reach charging decisions before June 2027.
The motion was proposed by James Small-Edwards AM. It recorded that 72 innocent Londoners died in the disaster nearly 10 years ago, and it said bereaved families and survivors have waited far too long for justice. Small-Edwards said that almost a decade on there still has not been justice and that Londoners need to know the lessons of Grenfell have been learned.
The Assembly said it remains dedicated to ensuring accountability for those who died, for survivors, for friends and family, for first responders and for the wider community. The motion warned that each of those groups continues to live with the deep and lasting impacts of the disaster, which must never be repeated.
Members also called for the process to be delivered as swiftly as possible without further delays. The motion welcomed the CPS commitment as a crucial step while underlining that the wider aim is timely accountability rather than mere procedural progress.
Files submitted and CPS timetable
The motion welcomed the Metropolitan Police submitting its files to the CPS so decisions can be considered, and it recorded the CPS’s stated intention to make those decisions before June 2027. The Assembly noted this as a commitment by the CPS rather than a statutory deadline, and it acknowledged that no charging decisions have yet been announced and no individuals have been named by the CPS in connection with the fire.
Separately, the London Fire Brigade said its Commissioner had been notified by the Metropolitan Police that a file had been submitted to the CPS for consideration in respect of the Brigade. That notification dated from 1 October 2026, according to the Brigade.
The fire killed 72 people in the 24 storey tower block in North Kensington in June 2017. The tragedy prompted public inquiries and successive investigations into building safety, cladding and regulatory oversight. The Assembly’s motion places renewed emphasis on criminal accountability as the next stage of the process.
Reaction and what happens next
Assembly members stressed that while the submission of files to the CPS is an important procedural milestone, the central concern remains the speed and clarity of any subsequent decisions. The motion asked that the CPS deliver any charging decisions before the tenth anniversary, and that the process be handled without unnecessary delay.
The CPS will now consider the material provided by the Metropolitan Police to decide whether there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges. The Assembly’s resolution records the CPS’s commitment but does not change the legal test the prosecution service applies when deciding whether to charge.
For bereaved families and survivors, the motion sought to give voice to longstanding calls for resolution. The Assembly said it will continue to press for accountability and to scrutinise progress until any criminal decisions are made and lessons from the tragedy are enacted into durable change.
No further timetable for CPS decision making has been set publicly beyond the commitment noted in the Assembly motion. The Assembly will monitor developments and may return to the issue should there be any indication of further delay.
The Grenfell Tower fire remains one of the most significant public safety tragedies in recent London history. The Assembly vote underscores continuing political and civic pressure for clarity on whether criminal responsibility will be established ahead of the landmark tenth anniversary in June 2027.
