The long-awaited "Hillsborough Law"—officially the Public Office (Accountability) Bill—was introduced to the UK Parliament on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, marking a watershed moment in the decades-long campaign for greater transparency and accountability from public officials during investigations into major disasters. For campaigners, bereaved families, and advocates for justice, the bill’s arrival is not just a legislative milestone, but a hard-won victory against a history of institutional cover-ups and systemic failures.
The bill’s roots stretch back to the tragic events of April 15, 1989, when 97 Liverpool FC fans lost their lives in a catastrophic crush during the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium. For years, grieving families battled smears, misinformation, and bureaucratic stonewalling to uncover the truth about what happened that day. It took a 27-year campaign before an inquest jury finally ruled that the fans were unlawfully killed and not to blame for the disaster—a verdict that exposed deep flaws in the way British institutions respond to tragedy.
According to BBC News, the new bill will require public bodies to cooperate fully with investigations into major disasters, or potentially face criminal sanctions. It will also provide legal funding to those affected by state-related disasters, ensuring that bereaved families are no longer left to fight “David and Goliath-style” legal battles without adequate representation. The Ministry of Justice described this as the largest expansion of legal aid in a decade, a move meant to level the playing field at inquests.
At the heart of the legislation is a new professional and legal "duty of candour," which compels public officials to act with honesty and integrity at all times. Breaches of this duty could result in criminal sanctions. As the government confirmed, this element was non-negotiable for campaigners, who had long feared the bill might be watered down or rendered toothless. “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,” said Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James died at Hillsborough. Her words, quoted by Sky News, reflect the broader hope that the law will prevent future injustices and suffering.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who had pledged to introduce the law by the 36th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, described the bill as transformative. “Faced with smears and lies about their loved ones, [the families] held onto the truth and battled for decades to prove it. I made a promise to [Margaret Aspinall], and to many others who faced terrible tragedies… 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,” Starmer stated, as reported by BBC News and government press releases.
Starmer emphasized that the legislation is not just for the 97 victims of Hillsborough, but also 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.” The bill, he said, is “change only this government can deliver”—a sentiment echoed by campaigners and politicians across the spectrum.
The bill’s introduction comes after a period of intense scrutiny and redrafting. Downing Street explained that more time was needed to ensure the legislation had the support of bereaved families and survivors, many of whom warned against a “toothless replacement.” Some campaigners had raised concerns that the crucial duty of candour might be diluted, but the government ultimately stood firm on its inclusion.
In addition to the duty of candour, the bill introduces a new offence for misleading the public, with criminal sanctions for the most serious breaches. These provisions are designed to “end the culture of cover-ups” that has plagued responses to disasters such as Grenfell, the Post Office Horizon scandal, and the infected blood scandal. The government hopes these “seismic” changes will lead to meaningful cultural shifts within public service, ensuring that truth and justice are never again concealed behind bureaucratic walls.
Elkan Abrahamson, one of the bill’s architects and a lawyer with Broudie Jackson Canter, called the introduction “a momentous step, owed entirely to the persistence of campaigners and their refusal to give up.” However, he cautioned that the journey is not over: “We will now scrutinise the bill as it makes its passage through parliament, so we’re not quite there yet. But today is still a momentous step.”
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy paid tribute to the families and campaigners, stating, “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.”
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, described the bill as “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.” He added, “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.”
The bill will now proceed through Parliament, where it will be debated and voted on by MPs and peers. Campaigners have warned lawmakers not to weaken the bill as it progresses, urging them to “ignore the vested interests that will attempt to water it down.” Some families and campaigners are expected to attend Downing Street to mark the bill’s introduction, and the timing coincides with the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool—an event likely to keep the spotlight firmly on the legislation’s progress.
For many, the Hillsborough Law represents the culmination of a long, painful struggle for justice and accountability. It is a testament to the power of ordinary people to force extraordinary change, and a promise that the tragic injustices of the past will never be repeated.
