Hillsborough Law to Hold Public Officials Accountable, Promising Jail for Serious Misconduct

Published: 16 September ‘2025. The English Chronicle Desk

Public officials who deliberately cover up state-related disasters will face criminal prosecution and up to two years in prison under the newly proposed Hillsborough law, Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor David Lammy has confirmed. The announcement comes amid concerns from campaigners that the legislation could be weakened before its introduction to parliament.

Writing in the Guardian, Lammy emphasised that the legislation will ensure public servants—from frontline officers to the highest-ranking officials—are held accountable for serious wrongdoing. The long-awaited Public Office (Accountability) Bill, expected to be formally introduced on Tuesday, represents years of advocacy by the families of Hillsborough victims and other affected communities.

The bill is designed to cover ministers, senior civil servants, and chief constables who mislead the public or fail to act with integrity, making them liable to face courts and imprisonment. Lammy underscored that the legislation includes a professional and legal “duty of candour,” requiring honesty and transparency whenever errors occur. Those who breach this duty may face prosecution, while a new offence for flagrantly misleading the public will carry sentences of up to two years behind bars. The legislation also replaces the existing offence of misconduct in public office with two more robust offences, ensuring proportional consequences for serious misconduct.

The introduction of the bill comes after earlier delays, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer having initially pledged to bring forward the legislation by the 36th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April. Campaigners had raised fears that critical provisions, including the duty of candour, could be diluted during drafting. Lammy assured the public that legal safeguards are being put in place, including automatic access to legal aid for bereaved families at inquests where the state is represented by teams of taxpayer-funded lawyers, ensuring families will no longer have to fund their own legal representation.

Lammy reflected on his personal experience of loss during the Grenfell Tower disaster, acknowledging the weight of grief and frustration faced by families navigating bureaucratic and legal processes. “I know what it is to sit with families whose lives have been torn apart, and to feel the weight of a system that too often meets grief with defensiveness and delay,” he wrote.

The Hillsborough disaster in 1989 claimed the lives of 97 football fans at Sheffield’s FA Cup semi-final. Survivors and family members have welcomed the legislation as a critical step towards accountability. Sue Roberts, whose brother Graham died in the tragedy, described the bill as “a huge step in the right direction” while emphasising that families will be closely monitoring its passage to ensure it is fully enacted.

Legal experts continue to scrutinise the bill. Concerns remain that the duty of candour offence is narrowly drafted, potentially allowing some public officials to avoid accountability. However, assurances have been made that the legislation will extend to combined and local authorities, as well as regulatory bodies including the Care Quality Commission, the Health and Safety Executive, and ombudsman investigations.

Pete Weatherby KC, who represents many Hillsborough families and helped draft the original bill, highlighted the transformative potential of the legislation. He noted that it could effect a cultural shift, ensuring public bodies operate with transparency as a matter of course, rather than under pressure. Families will remain actively involved as the bill progresses through parliament.

The expansion of legal aid has been broadly welcomed by bereaved families. Julia Waters, whose sister Ruth Perry took her own life following an adverse Ofsted report, described the bill as a measure that could prevent families from having to crowdfund for legal representation during emotionally distressing times. Natasha Elcock of Grenfell United echoed this sentiment, praising the duty of candour as a tool to secure accountability and improve support for survivors.

Lobby Akinnola, who lost his father early in the Covid-19 pandemic, said he has witnessed how easily the truth can be delayed or denied. He welcomed the legislation as a significant step toward justice for families and survivors.

The introduction of the Hillsborough law represents a landmark moment in UK legislation, aiming to hold public officials accountable, enhance transparency, and ensure that victims and bereaved families receive proper recognition and support when state systems fail catastrophically.