BASW England welcomes long-awaited Hillsborough Law

Following years of campaigning, the government has finally introduced the Public Office (Accountability) Bill to parliament.

BASW England strongly welcomes the introduction of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, also known as the Hillsborough Law, to Parliament. This long-awaited legislation is the result of decades of tireless campaigning by the Hillsborough families and survivors who fought with extraordinary courage to ensure truth, accountability and justice.

From Hillsborough to Grenfell, from the Horizon scandal to the infected blood tragedy, we have seen again and again how the state can fail victims. Too often those failures have been intensified by cover-ups, denial and blame. The Hillsborough Law represents a vital step towards ending that culture of defensiveness by placing a legal duty of candour on public officials, ensuring honesty and integrity in the face of disaster.

If passed and fully implemented, this bill has the potential to deliver genuine cultural change. It can prevent the smears, lies and institutional obstruction that have caused so much additional suffering for victims and families across generations.

We recognise that introducing the Bill is only the beginning. The government must show bravery and determination to deliver the legislation in full and resist any attempts to weaken it as it passes through Parliament.

BASW England has been proud to support the Hillsborough Law Now Campaign, and we stand with the families, campaigners and communities who have brought us to this point. We will continue to hold the government to account, ensuring that this promise becomes reality, a law that honours the 97 and protects all future generations from the injustices of cover-up.