The Isle of Man’s Attorney General has declined an application to direct the holding of fresh inquests into the deaths of 50 people who lost their lives in the 1973 Summerland fire, one of the island’s darkest tragedies.

The application, submitted in March 2025 by Phoenix Law on behalf of the Justice for Summerland campaign group, argued that the original inquests held in 1974 were ‘ineffective and perfunctory’, and claimed there had never been a full and proper investigation into the fire.

In a detailed response addressed to the campaigners, Attorney General Walter Wannenburgh KC confirmed he had considered the application under section 6 of the Coroners of Inquests Act 1987, which allows for a new inquest to be directed if there is reason to believe one is ‘desirable’.

However, he concluded that he was unable to make such a determination, citing a lack of fresh evidence.

Mr Wannenburgh said: ‘The Summerland fire was a terrible tragedy for the people of this Island and beyond and which resonates to this day. Fifty innocent people tragically lost their lives as a result of the blaze, and far more suffered serious physical and psychological injuries.’

He stressed, however, that his decision was based on legal criteria.

The Attorney General pointed to the 1974 Summerland Fire Commission, a public inquiry which sat for 49 days, heard evidence from over 90 witnesses, and examined the causes and consequences of the fire in detail. That inquiry found serious failings in the building’s design, materials, and fire safety systems.

‘The investigations and findings of the report produced by the Summerland Fire Commission in May 1974 comprised a thorough, effective and proportionate inquiry into how the fire took hold and spread, and how it came to be so fatal,’ Mr Wannenburgh wrote.

‘It resulted in public findings which made it clear where responsibility for the numerous different shortcomings lay and revealed the substantive truth of how the deceased came to lose their lives.’

He added that the 1974 Commission report was properly considered at the original inquests and that no new evidence had been submitted to undermine its conclusions.

Suggestions that relevant new information might exist were dismissed as ‘speculation’ and ‘conjecture’.

He concluded: ‘Taking all of the circumstances into account, and considering the breadth and depth of the investigation, which was conducted at the time, I cannot conclude that it is desirable to now conduct fresh inquests. I am sorry not to be able to communicate more welcome news.’

In a statement, the Justice for Summerland group branded the decision ‘deplorable’.

A spokesperson said: ‘We will be challenging this before the High Court.

‘We would like to make it very clear that those we believe to be culpable for a fire of this magnitude and devastation are those responsible for the design, construction and management of an unsafe leisure complex.

‘The Isle of Man government has had the chance to right this miscarriage of justice, however the Attorney General has made the disgraceful decision not to do so.’