Manchester Arena Bombing civil claims conclude
18th December 2025
On 22 May 2017 the terrorist Salman Abedi detonated a bomb in Manchester Arena complex at the end of an Ariana Grande concert. The bombing involved the murder of 22 people and resulted in personal injury and psychological injury to many more.
Over 350 bereaved families and survivors intimated civil and human rights claims against SMG (who operated the Arena), Showsec (who provided event security), British Transport Police (who provided policing on the night of the bombing) and Greater Manchester Police (who provided counter terrorism security advice in the years prior to the bombing).
Those claims were compromised in a global settlement on 16 December 2025.
The settlements in the 16 claims requiring approval were approved by HHJ Bird sitting as a High Court Judge in Manchester in hearings on 17-18 December 2025 which James Berry KC appeared in.
An agreed press statement can be found here.
The case has attracted media coverage including, please see here and here.
John Beggs KC, James Berry KC and Cecily White acted for Greater Manchester Police in these mass claims.
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