Hillsborough Law will include duty of candour

The Hillsborough Law, a proposed legislation, aims to impose a legal duty of candour on public bodies. This duty would require these organizations to cooperate fully with investigations into major disasters, such as the Hillsborough tragedy. The law is designed to ensure transparency and accountability, preventing the kind of cover-up that occurred after the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster, where 97 people lost their lives. The law would make it a criminal offense for public officials to withhold or alter evidence related to such incidents. Additionally, the law would provide legal aid and representation for bereaved families, empowering them to participate in inquests and investigations on an equal footing with public bodies. The Hillsborough Law is viewed as a significant step towards addressing the long-standing issues of institutional defensiveness and the lack of accountability that have plagued the aftermath of major disasters in the UK. Its implementation is expected to have far-reaching implications for the way public bodies respond to and investigate such tragedies.