Government stops short of introducing ‘Hillsborough Law’ six years after report

The government has stopped short of committing to a ‘Hillsborough Law’ which campaigners slammed as ‘meaningless’ and falls ‘way short’ of what they are asking for.

It comes more than six years after a report published in 2017 which set out 25 essential learning points from the disaster.

The report published in November 2017 titled The Patronising Disposition of Unaccountable Power by former Bishop of Liverpool James Jones called for a charter for families bereaved by public tragedy.

It also called for a publicly-funded legal representation for families at inquests where public bodies are represented, and a ‘duty of candour’ for police officers.

The government has signed up to the Hillsborough Charter which pledges to place the public interest above its own reputation.

Campaigners like Elkan Abrahamson, director of Hillsborough Law Now, have been campaigning for a ‘Hillsborough Law’ which would create a legal duty of candour on public officials.

He said: ‘The one relevant clause in the Criminal Justice Bill (clause 73), falls way short of what campaigners have asked for – it is not a ‘Hillsborough Law’ and it does not have the support of the families.

‘It merely provides for a meaningless code of conduct for the police which does not add to what already exists.

‘It lacks any accountability for other public servants, for national and local public services, and for private companies and their officers responsible for public health and safety.’

He added: ‘To wait six years for a government to respond to a report about a disaster that took place 34 years ago speaks volumes.

‘To deliver that response on a day when all eyes are on a former prime minister giving evidence to the Covid Inquiry only seeks to increase the cynicism felt amongst Hillsborough families and the thousands of others who would benefit from a change in the law.

‘Keir Starmer has pledged to enact this wide-ranging bill if he leads the Labour Party into power and, tiresome as it is to have to keep reminding the government of this, we will again be asking them to do the same.’

Margaret Aspinall’s son died at Hillsborough and she welcomed some of the government’s plans but doesn’t think they go far enough.

‘We need all public bodies to be able to tell the truth. Not just the police, it goes beyond the police,’ she said.

‘We don’t want to be here still campaigning after 34 years. I want to be able to get on with my life.

‘But we are fighting this campaign for the good of the people of this country, for people in future disasters to never go through what we’ve gone through.

’97 innocent people died, but not one person has been held to account. That is not justice.’

The home secretary and justice secretary said in a 75-page document published today they are ‘deeply sorry’ the response had taken so long but added the delay was to avoid prejudicing the outcome of criminal trials.

During Prime Minister’s Questions Rishi Sunak said he was ‘profoundly sorry’ for what the Hillsborough families went through.

But the government believes adopting a duty of candour would risk ‘creating conflict and confusion’ because a framework has already been developed.

It added much had changed since 1989 in terms of requirements and expectations from public officials.

It will now consult on the expansion of legal aid for inquests following public disasters.

Organisations that have signed up to the new Hillsborough Charter include the National Police Chiefs’ Council, College of Policing, Crown Prosecution Service and Kensington and Chelsea Council.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak added: ‘The Hillsborough families have suffered multiple injustices and more than 34 years later, there can never be too many apologies for what they have been through. And I want to repeat that apology today, and thank the Hillsborough families for their tenacity, patience and courage.

‘Today, the government will publish its response to Bishop James Jones’ report on the experiences of these families, setting out how we will improve support for the bereaved in the aftermath of a public disaster and how we expect public bodies to act – which is with honesty, transparency and candour.’

Inquests following the Hillsborough Disaster which concluded in 2016 found errors from the ambulance service and police resulted in the unlawful deaths of fans.

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