Government stops short of fully committing to 'Hillsborough Law'

The government has stopped short of fully committing to a "Hillsborough Law" in its long-awaited response to a report on the experiences of the victims' families more than six years after it was published.

Rishi Sunak told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions that he was "profoundly sorry" for what the families who lost loved ones in the disaster have been through, adding that they suffered "multiple injustices", but the government would not be adopting all the proposals it had been asked to.

Charlotte Hennessy, whose father James died in the tragedy, described the response as "disappointing" adding: "We never want anybody to ever have to go through what we have been through, ever."

Margaret Aspinall, who lost her son James, 18, said she and other families would continue arguing for a Hillsborough Law.

"It's the most important thing for me," she said. "This is not about the Hillsborough families. We don't want to be here campaigning still after 34 years.

"I want to be able to get on with my life and I'm sure the rest of the families do.

"We are here because we are concerned for the good of other people."

A report titled The Patronising Disposition of Unaccountable Power by former Bishop of Liverpool James Jones made 25 recommendations in November 2017 following the inquests into the deaths of the 97 Liverpool fans who died as a result of a crush at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield.

It called for the establishment of a charter for families bereaved by public tragedy, publicly-funded legal representation for families at inquests where public bodies are represented, and a "duty of candour" for police officers.

In a foreword to the government's 75-page response published today, the home secretary and the justice secretary said "we are deeply sorry" it had taken so long but said the delay was partly to avoid prejudicing the outcomes of criminal trials.

Campaigners have been calling for a "Hillsborough Law", or Public Authority (Accountability) Bill, to create a legal duty of candour on public authorities and officials to tell the truth and proactively co-operate with official investigations and inquiries.

The Criminal Justice Bill, announced in the King's Speech, will provide for a duty of candour for police officers, highlighting existing ministerial codes of conduct and the offence of misconduct in public to explain why a wider law is not thought necessary.

"The government is not aware of any gaps in legislation or clarifications needed that would further encourage a culture of candour among public servants in law," the report said.

The government has instead signed the "Hillsborough Charter", committing to a culture of honesty and transparency in public service.

Plans to expand free legal representation for bereaved families after major incidents and terror attacks will be "consulted on", the government said, adding that the amount of money public bodies spend on their representation at inquests and inquiries should be "proportionate" and "never be excessive".

The Ministry of Justice has already announced it will establish an Independent Public Advocate (IPA) to provide support for victims of major disasters in England and Wales, while the Home Office commissioned an independent review to consider what went wrong with the original pathology report into the deaths, following a recommendation from the former bishop.