Hillsborough campaigners have expressed frustration about new delays to a promised law designed to prevent cover-ups by police and other public bodies.
Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer cancelled a meeting with relatives of the Hillsborough victims.
On Friday, a letter was sent by Justice Secretary Shabanha Mahmood to the families saying the government feels it is “right we take more time to ensure we have the best, most effective Hillsborough Law.” Following the election of the Labour government, Sir Kier Starmer promised to introduce the law within this Parliament.
Yesterday, a charity concerned with state-related deaths condemned the delay. INQUEST released a new report which claimed that Hillsborough, Grenfell, Post Office and many other campaigners have suffered an “unparalleled experience of the harm caused by lies and cover-ups”.
Margaret Aspinall, mother of Hillsborough victim James Aspinall and prominent campaigner said in the report: “I am more determined than ever to demand that the Hillsborough Law presented to Parliament is all or nothing.
“The bill has got to be right.”
Meanwhile, Sky News reported that Hillsborough campaigners fear the delay indicates that the government could be about to water down the promised legislation, which will impose a “duty of candour” on public bodies.
Next Tuesday (15 April) marks 36 years since 97 football fans were unlawfully killed after gross negligence by police at the FA Cup final between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest FC at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield.
Over three decades later, no-one has been convicted for any part of the disaster, from the police’s actions to the subsequent cover-up.
The Law was introduced by Andy Burnham in 2017 to establish a statutory ‘duty of candour’, which would enable public bodies to be held accountable without fear of a cover-up.
The Department for Justice defended the delay saying: “We believe more time is needed to draft the best version of a Hillsborough Law.
“We remain fully committed to bringing in this legislation at pace, which will include a legal duty of candour for public servants and criminal sanctions for those who refuse to comply.”
