The family of British 9/11 victim Geoff Campbell yesterday took the next step in their defiant effort to strike down the British attorney general’s decision to deny a fresh inquest into the death of their beloved son and brother in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Overturning the attorney general’s decision would pave the way for the new inquiry the family has been seeking since 2021. They argue that a wealth of evidence not heard at the first inquest undermines the official conclusion that the impact of American Airlines Flight 11 led to the collapse of the North Tower. They contend that the building was actually destroyed with explosives and thus are fighting to ensure that this becomes the officially recognized cause of Geoff’s death.
“We are determined to have our day in the West London Coroner’s Court,” said Maureen Campbell, Geoff’s mother. “The government has stood in our way at every turn, but we will not give up on uncovering the truth about how our son died.”
The family believes that the attorney general’s denial of their request for a fresh inquest was unlawful on several grounds, including the application of improper legal tests, the unreasonable position that the original inquiry was sufficient — even though no evidence was heard as to the cause of the North Tower’s collapse — and the unsubstantiated dismissal of some 2,500 pages of new evidence submitted by the family.
One week ago, the attorney general’s office filed its “acknowledgement of service” contesting the family’s judicial review application (which effectively meant the new attorney general, Richard Hermer, would not be withdrawing his predecessor’s decision, much to the Campbells’ disappointment). And so yesterday the family exercised their right to file a short reply addressing new matters raised in the attorney general’s filing.
“We are dismayed that the attorney general has chosen to dig in his heels rather than reconsider this decision,” said Rob Campbell, Geoff’s brother. “But we remain hopeful that the courts will see the merits of our case and order a new inquest.”
The case now proceeds to the “permission stage” of the judicial review process, where the High Court will rule on whether to grant the family permission to apply for judicial review.
The question before the court at the permission stage is whether “there is an arguable ground for judicial review which has a realistic prospect of success.” The family argued in their filing yesterday that this is a low test and one which their application readily satisfies.
The Campbells now expect the High Court to rule within two to four months on whether to grant permission.
If permission is granted, the case would proceed to a “substantive hearing,” where the High Court would determine the lawfulness of the attorney general’s decision. A victory for the Campbells at that stage would result in the decision being quashed and the attorney general having to make a new decision, which in the context of the negative decision having been struck down would likely be positive.
It is also possible that the attorney general would elect to withdraw the decision if permission is granted. This is the relatively swift outcome the Campbells are now hoping for, since they believe it would be impossible for the attorney general to put forth a credible defense of the decision at a substantive hearing.
“This is not just about Geoff, but about finding truth for all those who lost their lives on 9/11 and the millions of people affected by its aftermath,” said Matt Campbell, Geoff’s other brother. “We owe it to them to uncover the full truth, no matter how long it takes.”
For a more in-depth explanation of the family’s case against the attorney general’s decision, please see the announcement of the filing on October 4, 2024.
The Campbells and we at IC911 are immensely grateful to the hundreds of people whose generous donations have enabled the family to continue fighting for the fresh inquest they deserve.
We ask you now to do all you can to raise awareness of the Campbells’ case and their multi-year battle to bring about a new inquest into the death of their beloved son and brother Geoff Campbell. This could still lead to the breakthrough so many of us have been working for over the past two decades.
