Hillsborough Law Bill Set for Parliamentary Approval

The long‑delayed Hillsborough Law Bill is expected to receive approval from MPs next week, after the government indicated it would return the legislation to Parliament before the summer recess.

Following disagreements over a proposed legal “duty of candour” that would require intelligence services to comply with public‑body scrutiny, Downing Street withdrew the bill from the parliamentary agenda in January. The legislation, formally titled the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, is now anticipated to pass the House of Commons on Tuesday, paving the way for it to become law by autumn.

The 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which saw 97 lives lost in a crush during the FA Cup semi‑final, prompted the long‑running campaign for clearer accountability from public officials.

The passage of the bill was paused after families involved in the campaign expressed concerns over a proposed opt‑out for intelligence services. The government’s amendment would have allowed intelligence heads to decide whether to cooperate with public inquiries, potentially enabling them to refuse evidence on the grounds of national‑security risk.

Campaigners cited the actions of intelligence agencies following the Manchester Arena bombing, where MI5 was accused of misleading the inquiry, as a reason for insisting on full accountability.

A government source has told the BBC that ministers have now agreed a new amendment, which campaigners say removes any exemption for intelligence services.

Historically, police spread false narratives blaming Liverpool fans and withheld evidence of their own failings after the disaster at Sheffield Wednesday’s ground. Fresh inquests in 2016 found that the Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed and that the police were responsible for or contributed to those deaths.

The Hillsborough Law would establish a legal duty for public officials to provide truthful, transparent information to inquiries and investigations.

Source link