Key facts
- A new law criminalizing public bodies and officials who lie to the British public is expected to pass its final stages in the Commons.
- The law aims to introduce a duty of candour for public officials and provide equality of funding for legal representation for those fighting for justice.
- The bill faced significant opposition regarding its application to security services, leading to its withdrawal by the government.
- Campaigners argued that exemptions for security services would undermine the law's core purpose.
- The Manchester Arena inquiry highlighted MI5's submission of inaccurate intelligence, bolstering the argument for including security services in the law.
A landmark law, often referred to as the Hillsborough Law, is on the cusp of final parliamentary approval in the UK. This legislation aims to criminalize public bodies and officials who lie to the public and to provide equal funding for legal representation to those fighting for justice against authorities. The law, a long-standing commitment of the Labour Party, has been a decade-long campaign for the families of the 97 victims of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.
The journey to this point has been fraught with challenges. Initially proposed as a private member's bill in 2017 by Andy Burnham, it gained momentum after Labour's election victory in 2024. However, progress stalled due to a significant dispute over whether the law should apply to security services. The government's attempt to carve out exemptions for these agencies led to the bill being pulled midway through its parliamentary passage, causing considerable anger among the Hillsborough families.
Campaigners, including the families of the Manchester Arena bombing victims, argued vehemently against exemptions for security services, citing instances like MI5's submission of inaccurate intelligence in the Manchester Arena inquiry. They insisted that including security services was crucial to the law's purpose of ensuring candour and accountability. Reports suggest that a resolution has been reached, with decisions on excluding evidence on national security grounds now resting with inquiry chairs, a compromise apparently accepted by the families.
The impending passage of the law is seen as a significant achievement for the Hillsborough families and a key legacy for Keir Starmer in his final week as Prime Minister. The role of Andy Burnham, a long-time supporter of the Hillsborough cause, is also highlighted, particularly his efforts following the 20th-anniversary memorial service that led to the Hillsborough Independent Panel's report, which exposed police cover-ups and led to the quashing of the original accidental death verdict.