Full Breakdown
UK Parliament Passes the Hillsborough Law, Advancing State Accountability
7/15/2026, 10:47:36 PM
Commons Passage of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill
On Tuesday, MPs approved the third reading of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill—commonly called the Hillsborough Law—sending it to the House of Lords for further scrutiny. The vote cleared the final Commons hurdle after a series of amendments resolved a deadlock over how the duty of candour would apply to Britain’s intelligence services. The legislation now moves toward royal assent, with the government aiming to have it on the statute book by April 2025, in time for the disaster’s 38th anniversary.
Background & Context
The bill is named for the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which 97 Liverpool supporters died on April 15, 1989, after a crush at the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. An independent 2012 inquiry found police had covered up their own mistakes and falsely blamed fans. Subsequent inquests in 2016 declared the victims “unlawfully killed” due to police, ambulance and stadium-operator failings. Decades of campaigning by bereaved families sought a legal duty that would compel public officials to tell the truth in inquiries and prevent future cover-ups.
Key Figures & Groups
- Sir Keir Starmer – outgoing Prime Minister and Labour leader, champion of the bill.
- Andy Burnham – Deputy Prime Minister-designate and long-time Hillsborough campaigner.
- Catherine Atkinson – Justice Minister, responsible for the amendments covering intelligence officers.
- Nick Timothy – Conservative shadow justice secretary, vocal critic of the bill’s timing and scope.
- Margaret Aspinall, Charlotte Hennessy, Sue Roberts, Steve Kelly – leading campaigners representing the victims’ families.
- MI5, MI6, GCHQ – intelligence agencies now subject to the duty of candour under a “secure process” for national-security-sensitive information.
Provisions of the Bill
The legislation creates a statutory “duty of candour and assistance” for all public authorities and officials when dealing with inquiries, inquests or investigations. It introduces new criminal offences for failing to uphold that duty or for misleading the public, and replaces the common-law offence of misconduct in public office with two specific statutes. The bill also expands legal aid by £185 million—the largest increase in a decade—to support bereaved families, and establishes “parity of representation” so families can be present on equal footing with the state at inquests.
Why It Matters
By obligating officials to provide truthful evidence, the law aims to prevent the repeat of scandals such as Grenfell Tower, the Manchester Arena bombing, the infected-blood scandal and grooming-gang investigations. Campaigners argue the duty of candour will shift power from entrenched authorities to ordinary citizens, fostering a culture of transparency across the public sector.
Official Statements & Responses
Starmer told the Commons that the Hillsborough families “fought so that no family like them should ever have to endure and suffer what they went through,” adding the bill “protects individuals and families that they'll never know, they'll never meet but who’ll never have to go through what they went through.” Burnham described the legislation as a “rewiring of the state” that will “change the way this country thinks and works about justice.” Justice Minister Atkinson said the amendments ensure the duty of candour “applies to all individual intelligence officers while establishing secure procedures for the disclosure of sensitive information.”
Criticism & Opposition
Conservative shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy argued the government had “watered down the protections” for MI5, MI6 and GCHQ and accused Starmer of being “desperate for a legacy and to claim the credit” in his final weeks as prime minister. Timothy also labelled the late-stage amendments a “shambles,” suggesting the bill’s promises to campaigners and intelligence agencies were contradictory.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The bill’s original deadline—April 15, 2025, the 36th anniversary of the disaster—was missed after a January backlash over a proposed intelligence exemption. Sources differ on whether the current “secure process” fully satisfies families’ demand that individual officers be compelled to testify; the compromise allows agency heads to seek a judge’s permission to withhold information on national-security grounds.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We stand on the precipice of change.” — Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister
- “He said: "It truly is a rewiring of the state and a passing of power from the authorities to the hands of ordinary people.” — Andy Burnham, Deputy Prime Minister-designate
- “desperate for a legacy and to claim the credit” — Nick Timothy, Conservative shadow justice secretary
- “This is not just about legislation, but about changing the way the bereaved and survivors are treated and a change in culture, and it is deeply empowering knowing that this protects others for ever.” — Charlotte Hennessy, campaigner
- “Access to justice is the right that makes all others real. A massive expansion in legal aid accompanying the law will empower people, whatever their means, to hold authorities to account,” — Sarah Sackman, Justice Minister
What’s Next
The bill now proceeds to the House of Lords, where further debate will determine whether the current intelligence-service safeguards survive. If approved, royal assent is expected before the autumn recess, allowing the law to take effect ahead of the April 2025 anniversary.
