Hillsborough Law Progresses to Next Parliamentary Session Despite Intelligence Agency Concerns

Progress on the long-delayed Hillsborough Law is set to continue as ministers agreed to carry the Public Office (Accountability) Bill over to the next parliamentary session. This decision follows sustained pressure for the legislation, which aims to impose a statutory duty of candour on public officials during inquiries.

Concerns Over Intelligence Agency Exemptions

The Bill’s passage had been stalled by proposed amendments, notably one that could have allowed intelligence agencies to avoid the statutory duty of candour, requiring only service head approval for compliance. This provoked a strong backlash from campaigners, survivors, and bereaved families, leading to the eleventh-hour withdrawal of the amendments.

Labour’s Ian Byrne, MP for Liverpool West Derby and a survivor of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, welcomed the carry-over but stressed the urgent need to “end the delays and deliver the law in full without carve-outs”. He highlighted the importance of achieving a fundamental “cultural change” within public institutions. Commons Leader Sir Alan Campbell confirmed the Bill would be subject to a carry-over motion, allowing its current form to advance.

The legislation, a key pledge in Labour’s 2024 manifesto, mandates that public officials provide truthful accounts during investigations. The controversy surrounding potential exemptions for security services underscores ongoing anxieties about state accountability, particularly in cases involving historic injustices where official narratives have been subject to considerable scrutiny.