The Hillsborough Law, officially known as the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, is set to clear the House of Commons this week, bringing a legally enforceable duty of candour for public officials and authorities. The legislation aims to prevent official cover-ups and compel transparency during investigations and inquiries.
Campaigner's Reaction
Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, expressed her joy to the Daily Mirror, saying she was "absolutely delighted, over the moon, absolutely made up." She chairs the Hillsborough Family Support Group and has long campaigned for justice.
Ms Aspinall told the newspaper: "When I was speaking to Keir Starmer, I told him this would be a lovely legacy for you to leave behind. I always believed he wanted to give us the Hillsborough Law. It was others stopping him. Now it's done." She added: "Our families have worked hard for this, but it's not for us, it's for the country. We've done it for the people of this country. I'm so proud. People have to tell the truth, whoever they are. The lies have cost millions. The cover-ups have cost millions. The truth costs nothing."
Legislative Progress
Commons leader Sir Alan Campbell confirmed the Bill will be debated on Tuesday, during what is expected to be the Prime Minister’s final week in office. The Bill takes its name from the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, where 97 Liverpool fans were killed in a crush at the FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield.
Both Sir Keir Starmer and his likely successor Andy Burnham have expressed support for the law change, but it faced repeated delays over concerns from security services about its impact on spies. The Government now believes it has reached a point where individual employees and ex-employees of the intelligence services will be covered by a duty of candour without compromising national security.
Amendments and Safeguards
Amendments to the Bill, to be debated this week, create a process where intelligence employees send information under the duty of candour to the head of their organisation, who would then be responsible for passing it on to public investigators. Victims’ minister Catherine Atkinson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that "there is no carve-out" for the security services, but safeguards ensure information is provided securely and appropriately.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: "The Hillsborough disaster will remain in our national consciousness for its tragedy and disgraceful injustice. Our legislation will right these wrongs, changing the balance of power so the state must always act for the people it’s supposed to serve. We have taken the time to get this right, working with families and campaigners to bring in a Bill that’s testament to their decades of campaigning, whilst never compromising on national security."
