December 6 – The British Government has stopped short of introducing a so-called ‘Hillsborough Law’ called for by campaigners in its response to a report into the experiences of the bereaved families.
Instead it has apologised for “compounding the agony” of the families and survivors and has signed up to a Hillsborough Charter, pledging to place the public interest above its own reputation but claiming a ‘Hillsborough Law’, partly to prevent future police over-ups, was not necessary.
The proposed law would have introduced a legally enforceable ‘duty of candour’, requiring police and public authorities to openly and fully assist inquiries and court proceedings after a major incident.
The government apology comes as it finally responded to a six-year-old report by the former Bishop of Liverpool which laid bare the experiences of the families, both in the immediate aftermath of the 1989 disaster that killed 97 fans, and in the decades since.
“The Hillsborough families have suffered multiple injustices and more than 34 years later there can never be too many apologies for what they have been through,” said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
“And I want to repeat that apology today and thank the Hillsborough families for their tenacity, patience and courage.”
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