Six months on from the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, the national equality body has launched an inquiry into whether the state failed both victims and their families.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) will look at if both the Government and local council failed in their duty to protect life, prevent inhuman treatment and provide safe housing.
Isn’t There Already An Inquiry?
Yes, however, this new probe will look at areas it claims have been ‘overlooked’. It comes just three months after the launch of an official public inquiry into the Grenfell blaze, in which over 70 people died. The inquiry, headed by Sir Martin Moore-Bick has come under some criticism for its “narrow terms of reference” which will not call into question the wider social issues.
As the Grenfell inquiry reopens this morning let us remember that it is the inquiry’s job to hold those in power to account on behalf of those who lost their lives, their families, and the survivors with fierce impartiality and without fear or favour. https://t.co/SjDZI5biFL
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) December 11, 2017
Equality watchdog EHCR’s commission ‘Following Grenfell‘ has indicated it will look to answer these questions, adding it will look into whether the “state carried out its duty to investigate deaths and incidents of inhuman and degrading treatment”, including investigating if the public inquiry is “adequate”.
Who Are the EHCR?
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is a public body established in 2006, which promotes and enforces legislation related to human rights and equality within the UK.
They say they have launched the commission due to concerns that the conditions preceding and following the tragedy “raise serious human rights and equality questions around issues such as the right to life, the right to adequate housing, access to justice, the rights of children and disabled people. ”
Breaking news this evening that @EHRC will launch a human rights inquiry into #GrenfellTower. Here’s why it’s a human rights issue pic.twitter.com/ErTrmXnpFT
— RightsInfo (@rights_info) December 9, 2017
David Isaac, chair of the EHCR, said: “The Grenfell Tower fire has become a symbol of the inequality that exists in our country. The first duty of the State is to protect the lives of its citizens and lessons must be learnt to avoid this happening again.
“From the right to life to the duty to provide adequate housing, there are several areas where the State fell short in its duties to its citizens and these must be properly addressed.”
