Summerland Families to Appeal Deemster’s Ruling

Today, the High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man dismissed the legal challenge brought by one of the families of the 50 people who died in the Summerland fire disaster of 1973.

On 15 May 2025, the Attorney General refused to order fresh inquests into the deaths of the 50 people who lost their lives in the fire at the Summerland leisure complex in Douglas. The claimant argued that the original inquests conducted in 1974 were inadequate and legally flawed, and that the blanket verdicts returned at the time ought to now be revisited. It was also argued that the Attorney General applied a higher threshold than Manx law allows to the application for fresh inquests.

The Claimant, Ms Jacqueline MacDonald Hallam, survived the fire as a 14-year-old child but lost her mother Lorna and her best friend Jane. Ms Hallam intends to continue her fight for justice.

Harry Robinson, solicitor at Phoenix Law, who acts on behalf of the families, said:

“The families have come to the Isle of Man for justice following tragedy. Their resilience and courage means that they are not intending to give up following today’s ruling. They have applied for permission to appeal because they deserve answers as to the circumstances of 50 of their loved ones’ deaths and it is a privilege to support them in the next steps of their fight.”.

The Claimant, Ms Jackie Hallam, said:

“We are disappointed by the Deemster’s judgment. We strongly believe that the 1974 verdicts of death by misadventure were unjust. We believe that the inquests at the time were inadequate.

Those who died deserved a thorough and transparent investigation. The public deserve to know that the justice system is prepared to revisit failures where necessary. We are asking that the Isle of Man faces the past to properly help right previous wrongs.

If your mother or daughter or any loved one of yours had been through my experience, you would want answers too. You would fight for the truth. That is why we are appealing this ruling.”