The Metropolitan Police has submitted all of its Grenfell Tower investigation files to the Crown Prosecution Service, asking prosecutors to consider potential criminal charges relating to 54 individuals and 20 companies and organisations.
The force described the handover as a “milestone moment” in the investigation into the June 2017 fire, which killed 72 people.
The submission consists of 20 files relating to the individuals and organisations, alongside 14 overarching evidence files.
CPS asked to consider manslaughter, fraud and other offences
Police have asked the Crown Prosecution Service to consider a range of potential offences including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, health and safety offences, fraud and fraud-related offences, and misconduct in public office.
Crucially, the submission of the files does not mean that any individual or organisation has been charged.
The CPS will independently review the evidence and decide whether the legal test for bringing criminal charges is met in each case. The referral itself is not a finding of guilt or criminal liability.
54 people and 20 organisations identified as suspects
The Met said investigators examined the roles of more than 15,000 individuals and 700 organisations connected with Grenfell Tower before identifying 54 people and 20 organisations as suspects for the offences now referred to prosecutors.
The scale of the investigation has been enormous. Police say they have gathered around 165 million electronic files, taken 14,700 statements and retained more than 27,000 exhibits.
The Met's summary reports to the CPS alone exceed four million words across more than 12,600 pages and reference more than 45,000 documents, images and exhibits.
Investigators have also examined the 1,700-page final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and cross-referenced its findings against evidence gathered during the criminal investigation.
CPS decisions expected before tenth anniversary
The Crown Prosecution Service has said it expects to make its charging decisions before the tenth anniversary of the fire on 14 June 2027.
Those decisions will be made independently by specialist prosecutors following a detailed review of the evidence submitted by police.
Any decision to prosecute would begin a separate criminal court process. Until charging decisions are made, none of the individuals or organisations referred to the CPS should be treated as having committed any criminal offence.
Nine-year police investigation
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth said the submission represented a milestone in what the Met describes as one of the most complex investigations ever undertaken by a UK law enforcement agency.
A dedicated team of around 220 investigators has worked on the case, while Grenfell Tower itself was held as a police crime scene for 14 months.
Police also carried out detailed forensic searches of the building and continue to hold thousands of physical exhibits, including cladding, insulation, doors, windows and other components.
72 people died in Grenfell Tower fire
Seventy-two people died following the fire at Grenfell Tower in North Kensington on 14 June 2017.
The criminal investigation has proceeded alongside the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, whose final report examined the circumstances leading to the disaster and the actions of public authorities and private organisations.
The latest handover marks the point at which responsibility for deciding whether criminal prosecutions should follow now rests with the Crown Prosecution Service.