News

Today the Cranston Inquiry will hear from our client, Issa Mohammed Omar, one of only two survivors of the tragic events of 23/24 November 2021, when at least 31 people lost their lives crossing the Channel. Mr Omar will provide his account of how the harrowing events of the night played out, when desperate calls for help were made by passengers on the boat, but no one came to their rescue. 

Duncan Lewis Solicitors, led by Maria Thomas, is representing Mr Omar and the families of 24 victims and have supported the families and the survivor in their fight for justice for over three years. 

The non-statutory inquiry chaired by Sir Ross Cranston was set up in January 2024, and will examine who the deceased were, when, where, and in what circumstances they lost their lives, while also considering lessons learnt to prevent future tragedies.

The hearings began yesterday, 3

March 2025, with an opening statement from Counsel to the Inquiry, Rory Phillips KC, who spoke powerfully of the litany of fatal errors made by HM Coastguard on the night. Mr Phillips KC noted, for example,  the striking futility in asking 16 year old Mubin about his location 17 times, despite Mubin’s “clear inability to answer beyond saying that they were in UK waters”, in a call where  Mubin repeatedly asked for help, and told the Coastguard that those on board were "finished".

This was followed by statements from legal representatives, including Sonali Naik KC of Garden Court Chambers on behalf of the bereaved families and survivor, as well as representatives for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Home Office, and the Department for Transport. 

The hearings will continue for four weeks until 27 March, and proceedings take place at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London. Witness schedules will be published weekly on the Inquiry’s website, and members of the public wishing to attend must register online.

For more details, visit: Cranston Inquiry Website

To view or read the widespread coverage of this story on other platforms, visit:

• The Guardian: Channel migrant dinghy tragedy 'entirely predictable', inquiry hears

• Sky News:
• Deadliest English Channel crossing in history 'a terrible human tragedy', inquiry hears
• Cranston Inquiry into channel crossing tragedy begins
• Watch: Inquiry into Channel crossing tragedy that left 27 people dead
• The National News: Teenager made harrowing call for rescue in deadliest English Channel crossing tragedy

• ITV News: Deadliest Channel crossing incident a 'terrible human tragedy', inquiry hears

The Bereaved Families and Survivor remain committed to get to the truth of what happened that night and expose any wrongdoing, which contributed to this tragedy. They are sincerely grateful to the Chair and his team for their work to bring this to fruition. 

About Maria Thomas

Maria Thomas is a leading Public Law and Human Rights solicitor at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, with extensive experience in holding public bodies to account. She specialises in representing victims of human rights violations, including high-profile inquiries and judicial reviews. Maria has been instrumental in securing the Cranston Inquiry and continues to fight for justice on behalf of the families affected by the 2021 Channel disaster.

About Duncan Lewis Solicitors:

Duncan Lewis Solicitors is an award-winning law firm, renowned for its exceptional legal services and commitment to justice. The company employs a team of highly skilled solicitors offering top-tier representation in 25 fields of law, and ranked as top tier by the Chambers and the Legal 500 legal guides, and as one of the top 250 law firms in the country by the Times. Duncan Lewis was crowned Law Firm of the Year at the Modern Law Awards 2023, further establishing its credentials as one of the leading law firms in the UK.

The Public Law Team :

Maria Thomas, Toufique Hossain, Nicholas Hughes, Elisabeth Jennings, Claire Mallon, Manini Menon, David Garrick, Dominic Chambers, Florence Davies, Hannah Jandu, Laura Blythe, Elleanor Wilkins-Bell, Ilana Thurgood, Lorien Lambert, Niaz Sabaghchian, Zachary Jones.