How would a Grenfell Tower replica be used in a criminal trial?

As part of preparations for any potential criminal cases arising from the Grenfell Tower disaster, the Metropolitan Police has said it will produce a scale model of the tower itself.

A statement by the Met said:

“We have explained to the families that we are building a replica of some elements of Grenfell Tower, with that work currently at the planning stage.

“If trials take place, they will be some of the most complex ever held in the UK and the replica will bring to life how elements of the building looked before, during and after its refurbishment for jurors in a way a drawing or 3D rendering cannot.”

It is not yet known how big the replica will be, or how the jury will view it, but the Met indicated it “will take some time to construct”.

So, what is the purpose of building the replica model of Grenfell Tower and how could it be used in a trial?

In a major criminal trial, a jury may be taken to view the scene to understand the evidence in its physical context.

However, by the time any Grenfell prosecutions reach trial, the tower is expected to have been taken down, removing that option.

A model therefore preserves, in practical form, what a site visit would otherwise help achieve: a shared visual reference point for the jury. It is not a substitute for evidence and must be controlled so it does not become theatrical or prejudicial.

It will help the jury understand complex evidence. Grenfell is likely to involve intense expert evidence relating to construction methods, cladding systems, fire spread, evacuation, refurbishment history, regulatory duties and decisions taken by many different organisations.

Jurors are not expected to become engineers, architects or fire-safety specialists, but they must be able to follow the evidence well enough to make fair decisions on disputed facts.

A physical model can translate abstract technical issues into something intelligible and shared. It can show where components were positioned, how they related to one another, and why particular choices or failures may matter.

Properly used, it helps legal representatives and experts explain evidence without oversimplifying it and helps the jury test competing accounts against a coherent physical reference point.

Additionally, while statistics vary, a significant number of people identify as visual learners.

A physical model can be persuasive because jurors often understand and remember visual evidence more easily than oral evidence alone. A model gives the jury something concrete to connect that evidence to. It assists those who are visual learners, or who struggle with technical language, by turning abstract testimony into a physical reference point.

One important reason for creating a replica is that Grenfell is not simply a case about a single static place in time.

The building changed. Its condition before refurbishment, the works carried out during refurbishment, and the completed external wall system after refurbishment may all be central to understanding what happened and why. A physical replica can therefore help jurors follow the chronology of the building’s changes.

In legal terms, that matters because liability may turn on decisions made at different stages by different people or organisations.

A drawing or 3D rendering can show this, but a replica may make the relationships between components more immediate and tangible. It can bring the evidence to life without requiring jurors to visualise complex construction details purely from plans, expert reports or technical descriptions.

There is also scientific support for using models in legally complex cases.

Research by Cranfield University using a mock jury found that 3D imaging improved jurors’ understanding of technical courtroom language. Participants were shown evidence using photographs, 3D visualisations, or a 3D-printed model, with the 3D-printed model reported to produce the highest understanding for the mock jurors.

Ultimately, the replica will be far more than a dramatic exhibit.

In a case as technically deep and emotionally significant as Grenfell, it will perform a practical evidential function. It will help jurors understand what the tower was, how it changed, and why those changes matter. If the original building is no longer available for a jury to view, the model will become the next-best means of anchoring the evidence in physical form.

Used properly, it will help turn years of documents, expert reports and witness accounts into something tangible for the jury to assess the wider evidence.

Luke Deal is senior associate at Trowers & Hamlins.