Judgment deferred in appeal against rejection of bid to overturn Summerland inquest verdict

Deemster's ruling on campaigners' case delayed

The judgment in an appeal against the rejection of a bid for fresh inquests into the deaths of 50 people in the Summerland fire has been deferred.

Members of the Justice for Summerland Campaign Group have been fighting to overturn the original 1974 inquest ruling that the deaths were as a result of 'misadventure'.

Last year the Island's attorney general rejected the application for fresh inquests, saying the case put forward by Phoenix Law on behalf of the campaign group did not present any new evidence that undermined or materially challenged the original findings.

An appeal against that decision began in May.

At Douglas Courthouse today (17 June) members of the campaign group, including Jackie Hallam who lost her mum and best friend in the fire and Jane Stevenson whose grandmother also died in the tragedy, awaited the decision of Deemster Andrew Corlett on that appeal.

However, after discussion around the deemster's draft judgment, the decision was taken to defer the hearing until a later date to allow the opportunity for 'more detailed points' to be made by the advocate acting of behalf of the campaign group, Steven Coren.

In the meantime, Deemster Corlett says, the matter remains 'under consideration'.

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This article has been amended to reflect that the court has not yet set a new date for the handing down of the judgment.

The parties have until 10 July to make representations.