7 July suicide bombers' families denied inquest legal aid

Published on Thursday 22 April 2010 22:23

RELATIVES of the 7 July suicide bombers have applied for legal aid for representation at their forthcoming inquests, the Ministry of Justice said yesterday. But ministers rejected the two applications, after ruling that they did not meet the criteria for public funding for their lawyers.

The government has already agreed that legal aid will be offered to the families of the four bombers' 52 innocent victims, as well as survivors of the attacks.

The inquests for those who died in the 2005 London bombings are expected to be held at the end of this year.

The coroner, Lady Justice Hallett, will decide their format, including whether the bombers' inquests should be heard along with those of their victims, at a three-day court hearing in London next week.

A spokesman said: "The Ministry of Justice has received two applications from relatives of the perpetrators of the 7 July bombings for representation at the inquests into their deaths.

"Ministers have refused the applications, as they did not consider that the published exceptional funding criteria were met."