Hillsborough Law to be laid in UK Parliament on historic day for families of the 97
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Decades of relentless campaigning by the families of the 97 Liverpool supporters who died in the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster will deliver a "seismic" transformation in UK law.
On Tuesday, September 15, a Hillsborough Law Bill will be presented to UK Parliament on what represents a monumental and historic occasion.
The groundbreaking legislation will ensure public officials and authorities are held responsible for their conduct through a new professional and legal duty of candour - requiring them to operate with honesty and integrity at all times or face criminal penalties.
This substantial package of measures is intended to ensure that the heartbreaking injustices of the past and the subsequent institutional failures are never repeated.
The bill, described today as the most significant change to how the UK's justice system treats ordinary citizens since the introduction of the Human Rights Act in 1998, is a beacon of hope.
The Hillsborough families endured disgraceful lies and slurs about their deceased loved ones for decades after they were unlawfully killed in a crush at Hillsborough Stadium while watching Liverpool face Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup Semi-final on April 15, 1989.
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Their relentless campaigning eventually led to new inquests that found their family members were unlawfully killed, overturning the original inquest verdict of accidental death.
Despite their tireless pursuit of justice for those who died, sadly no one has been held legally accountable for the devastation, with match commander David Duckinfield's trial collapsing in 2021.
However, by getting a Hillsborough Law onto the statute books, the families have secured a monumental legacy for their loved ones that should transform the way the UK operates and ensure no one else endures what they have.
In addition to the Hillsborough Law families, numerous other groups have advocated for this legislation - including those impacted by The Post Office Horizon scandal, the Grenfell fire, the infected blood scandal, nuclear test veterans and many others who have found themselves embroiled in major tragedies or state-related harm.
Family members had a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy yesterday, and several will meet with the Prime Minister on Tuesday morning, before heading to Parliament to witness the historic moment as the bill is presented in the House of Commons.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed to enact a Hillsborough Law when he was leader of the opposition, speaking at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool in 2022 - this followed his meeting with Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James perished in the disaster.
This commitment was subsequently included in Labour's election-winning manifesto last year, before he reiterated the promise at the conference in the city several months later.
He had pledged to have the bill on the statute books in time for the anniversary of the disaster in April this year, but this was postponed as discussions and debates between the government and campaigners continued about the provisions within the bill.
Because with this law, we are changing the balance of power in Britain and ensuring that the State can never hide from the people it is supposed to serve."
The Prime Minister continued: "Make no mistake - this is a law for the 97, but it is also a law for the sub-postmasters who suffered because of the Horizon scandal, the victims of infected blood, and those who died in the terrible Grenfell Tower fire.
This is change only this government can deliver."
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy remarked: "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 affect 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."
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram was present at Hillsborough on the day of the disaster and has been a crucial campaigner alongside Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.