Tuesday briefing: The law that Hillsborough built – and the bitter final battle to get it through
Summary
A new British law is set to make it a crime for public officials and bodies to lie to the public, inspired by the Hillsborough disaster where police falsely blamed football fans. The law, pushed by Keir Starmer’s Labour government, aims to help people fight authorities and ensure honesty, and it is close to final approval in the UK Parliament.Key Facts
- The Hillsborough disaster in 1989 caused 97 deaths due to a crush at a football stadium.
- Police wrongly blamed Liverpool football fans for the tragedy, hiding their own mistakes.
- After long campaigns, families of victims pushed for a law requiring public officials to be truthful (called the "duty of candour").
- The new law also supports fair legal funding for people fighting public bodies, which families lacked in past inquests.
- Andy Burnham first proposed the law in 2017 as a private member’s bill, but it stalled under the previous Conservative government.
- When Labour returned to power in 2024, the law became a key promise and moved forward under Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
- The new law has nearly completed its final stages in the House of Commons (the UK Parliament).
- The law is seen as a legacy of the families’ long struggle for justice after the disaster.
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