Hillsborough Law introduced to Parliament

Today, the Government has introduced the Public Office (Accountability) Bill – widely known as the Hillsborough Law – to Parliament, marking a historic moment in the fight for justice and transparency following public tragedies.

The legislation enshrines a statutory Duty of Candour, placing a legal obligation on public officials and authorities to act with honesty, transparency, and integrity. It introduces criminal sanctions for those who deliberately mislead the public or obstruct investigations and establishes a new offence for seriously improper conduct by public officials. 

In a major step forward for bereaved families, the Bill also guarantees non-means tested legal aid at inquests where the state is represented, addressing long-standing inequalities and ensuring both sides are on a fair and equal footing. 

The Hillsborough Law is the result of decades of campaigning by the families of the 97 victims of the Hillsborough disaster, who were unlawfully killed in 1989.  

The law also responds to other major incidents, including Grenfell, the Manchester Arena bombing and the Post Office Horizon scandal where families have faced institutional resistance, misinformation, and a lack of accountability. 

Independent Public Advocate, Cindy Butts, said: 

“I welcome today’s announcement that the Government will introduce a statutory Duty of Candour as part of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill. 

This law is born out of the tireless struggle of the Hillsborough families and survivors — and will require public officials to act with honesty, transparency, and integrity, or face sanction if they fail to do so. 

I also welcome the commitment to publicly funded legal representation for bereaved families at inquests. It is a vital step toward fairness and dignity, ensuring victims are no longer left to fight alone. 

This is a law for the Hillsborough 97, but also for those affected by Grenfell, the Manchester Arena bombing, the Horizon scandal, and other tragedies — where families have too often been left battling misinformation and secrecy. 

Candour is, and must always be, the foundation of trust. 

This moment belongs to campaigners such as Margaret Aspinall and Charlotte Hennessy, whose persistence brought us here. 

There is still plenty of work to do — setting the scope, ensuring enforcement, and embedding cultural change. But today is a moment of real hope. 

As Independent Public Advocate, I will work tirelessly to ensure candour is not only written in law but lived in practice. Victims and families must never again be left to fight alone, and truth and justice must never again be delayed or denied.”