Hillsborough Law to be laid in UK Parliament on historic day for families of the 97

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. The Hillsborough Law bill will also deliver the most significant expansion of legal aid in a decade for grieving families - offering non-means tested assistance and support for inquests, with expenses met by the represented public body.

A legal obligation will also be imposed on public bodies to guarantee their expenditure remains proportionate at all times, preventing the state from sheltering behind disproportionately large legal teams at inquests and ensuring both parties stand on fair and equal ground.

Fresh guidance will also be introduced on how state bodies and their representatives should engage at inquests, designed to ensure the state operates with "openness and honesty" with the exclusive aim of assisting the coroner in establishing the case facts.

Additionally, a new offence will be established for misleading the public, featuring criminal penalties for the most severe violations. 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.

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. These discussions escalated over the summer and right up until the end of last week, before an agreement was finally reached.

Margaret Aspinall, a key figure in the campaign, expressed today: "It's been a long journey to get here. I am so grateful to the Prime Minister for fulfilling his promise to me.

"This campaign wasn't about just us, it is about the ordinary people of this country, hopefully this law will mean no one will ever have to suffer like we did.

"This promise now was well worth waiting for, for the good of the people. We have got the Hillsborough Law!"

Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated: "I first met Margaret Aspinall as the director of public prosecutions, and found her courage, and the strength of all the Hillsborough families and survivors, utterly breathtaking. Faced with smears and lies about their loved ones, they held onto the truth and battled for decades to prove it.

"I made a promise to her, and to many others who faced terrible tragedies - incredible campaigners like Pooja Kanda and Figen Murray - that I would act so no one else would need to suffer the way they had.

"Today, I am proud to be making good on the promise I made to Margaret by bringing in the Hillsborough Law. I know nothing can ever undo the years of injustice those families have endured. But I hope it can add to the already profound legacy they have created in memory of the 97.

"Hillsborough will always remain in our national consciousness for its tragedy and disgraceful injustice. But today it can also be remembered for the way it changed our country for the better. 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. Mayor Rotheram stated: "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 the 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."

He added: "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 infected 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."

The bill is set to be presented before UK Parliament tomorrow (Tuesday, September 16).

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.