KRW LAW LLP represent ten of the families of victims of the Birmingham Pub Bombings 1974 in the resumed inquests into the deaths of their loved ones.

Earlier this year, the Court of Appeal in London, heard the Coroner to the Birmingham Pub Bombing 1974 inquest argue that a Divisional Court was wrong to quash his Ruling on Scope. He had decided to exclude the issue of perpetrators from the scope of the coronial investigation. The Divisional Court ordered him retake his decision.

The Lord Chief Justice Sir Ian Burnett, Lady Justice Hallett and Lord Justice McCombe heard the appeal. Today their judgment has been published and they have restored the Ruling on Scope of the Coroner and overturned the judgment of the Divisional Court.

Our clients are obviously disappointed by the decision of the Court of Appeal. The Court agreed with the reasoning of the Coroner regarding the scope of this inquest and its role in investigating the issue of perpetrators – Who Bombed Birmingham?

The judgment will need to be considered in detail and a decision taken on whether to seek an appeal against the decision of the Court.

In the meantime the Coroner has stressed that the scope of the inquest will be kept under review. This means that evidence adduced through the investigation, for example in relation to the informant issue (which is still being considered), may engage the perpetrators issue.