The Labour government has tonight confirmed the introduction of the Hillsborough Law, saying it will hold public officials and authorities accountable for their actions and end the culture of cover-ups and hiding the truth, ensuring transparency, accountability and support for bereaved families.
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill – to be known as the Hillsborough Law – will introduce a series of changes, including:
– A new professional and legal duty of candour – meaning public officials must act with honesty and integrity at all times, with criminal sanctions for egregious breaches
– The largest expansion of legal aid in a decade for bereaved families, providing non-means-tested help and support for inquests
– A new offence for misleading the public, with criminal sanctions for the most serious breaches from those in public office
A Liverpool FC spokesperson said: “Liverpool Football Club welcomes the introduction and forthcoming implementation of the Hillsborough Law – a landmark piece of legislation borne from the tireless efforts of the families, survivors and campaigners who have fought for truth and justice for more than three decades.
“We pay tribute to the families, whose unwavering determination and dignity in the face of unimaginable loss and injustice have inspired a movement that will protect others. Their courage and selflessness will not only change the law – it will change the lives of future generations.
“Today’s legislation is a direct response to the failures that followed the Hillsborough disaster and a promise that no other family should ever have to endure the same struggle to uncover the truth.
“We continue to remember the 97; their memory lives on in our hearts and in our actions. We also honour those who are no longer with us, including campaigners who passed before seeing this day. Their legacy will be written into law.
“We know there is still more work to do but hope today gives some peace and enormous sense of achievement to everyone connected to Hillsborough. Our thoughts and support will always be with you.”
Margaret Aspinall – former chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, who lost her 18-year-old son James at Hillsborough – added: “It’s been a long journey to get here. I am so grateful to the prime minister for fulfilling his promise to me.
“This campaign wasn’t about just us, it is about the ordinary people of this country. Hopefully this law will mean no-one will ever have to suffer like we did. This promise now was well worth waiting for, for the good of the people. We have got the Hillsborough Law.”
Deputy prime minister David Lammy said: “I speak from personal experience when I say disasters like Hillsborough and Grenfell are tragedies our nation continues to mourn. The scars left behind sit at the heart of this bill – and I want to pay testament to those who have campaigned so long to effect real change.
“The changes we’re making will ensure truth and justice are never concealed again and brave families never again left fighting endlessly for the truth – and anyone caught trying to do so will face the full force of the law.”
The bill will also include measures to better support families at inquests and ensure the focus remains on establishing the facts to deliver justice for victims, avoiding ‘David and Goliath’-style showdowns.
Bereaved families will have publicly funded legal representation at inquests, with the costs covered by the public body represented.
A legal duty will also be placed on public bodies to ensure their spend is always proportionate, stopping the state from hiding behind unjustifiably large legal teams at inquests and making sure both sides are on a fair and equal footing.
Steve Rotheram, mayor of Liverpool City Region, added: “Today is a landmark moment – not just for our city, but for the whole country. A day of history-making and permanent legislative change. An opportunity to enact a bill as a lasting legacy to the 97 Hillsborough victims, unlawfully killed in 1989.
“The tabling of the Hillsborough Law is the biggest victory for ordinary people campaigning and organising together in generations and the most important change in how our justice system treats ordinary citizens since the Human Rights Act.
“We must never forget that while it was Liverpool supporters who went to Hillsborough that day, the tragedy touched families and communities right across the country. But the same injustices had, and continue to be, a stain on our country’s reputation for fairness and justice. Until today.
“The Hillsborough families will never see true justice done for their loved ones. But because of their tenacity, dignity and refusal to be silenced, no other bereaved families will ever have to endure the same ordeal. That is their legacy – and it will stand for generations to come.
“This bill is about rebalancing the scales of justice. It is a fitting tribute to the Hillsborough families’ decades-long fight, and proof of the power of ordinary people to force extraordinary change. And while Hillsborough was the catalyst, this reform could just as easily be named after Grenfell, the contaminated blood scandal, the Post Office scandal or a long list of other injustices.
“I want to thank the government for listening and acting. This legislation ensures that the lessons of Hillsborough are now finally written into law – so that no other families are ever left to fight alone.”
