The Labour government today announced the implementation of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill — commonly known as the Hillsborough Law — aimed to force all public officials to tell the full truth in the event of any investigations into major disasters.
Campaigners had feared both that the law was not the priority of the government, and that an eventual bill might be “watered down” from what was hoped after Prime Minister Keir Starmer delayed for redrafting rather than emerging on the 2025 anniversary
of the Hillsborough Disaster.
A “duty of candor” on the part of public officials would come with criminal sanctions if found to breach the requirements of honesty and integrity. The goal of such legislation would be to “end the culture of cover-ups,” like Hillsborough and the Grenfell Disaster, among other examples, all of which saw survivors and loved ones suffer months and years of misinformation. The bill will also expand legal aid to support bereaved and otherwise suffering families following a disaster.
Margaret Aspinall, the mother of eighteen-year-old James, who died at Hillsborough, sees this law as a means to ensure that “no-one will ever have to suffer like we did.” She is grateful that the government has followed through on their word.
A club spokesperson also provided comment following the news: “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.”
Adding to this, Liverpool City region mayor Steve Rotheram marked the moment: “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.”
