Hillsborough Law: Landmark UK Legislation Faces Parliamentary Turbulence
Why the Hillsborough Law Matters
The Hillsborough Law, formally known as the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, represents a watershed moment in UK public accountability. The legislation follows the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, where 97 football fans were unlawfully killed in a crush at an FA Cup semi-final, and subsequent efforts by some officials to mislead about events that led up to the tragedy. Calls for this law first began almost a decade ago in April 2016, after the completion of the second set of inquests into the deaths.
Recent Developments and Controversy
The bill’s passage through Parliament has been marked by significant controversy in January 2026. The Government pulled an amendment to the Hillsborough Law amid concerns that intelligence agencies could use it to avoid being bound by the proposed duty of candour, and withdrew the legislation from Monday’s parliamentary agenda entirely.
Talks between ministers, the families involved and supportive MPs have broken down over concerns about the protections it will offer to the intelligence services. Thirty Labour MPs have backed an amendment which would ensure the bill’s ‘duty of candour’ would apply to individual intelligence officers. Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said the Government amendment “risks undermining the spirit of the legislation” and “creates too broad an opt-out” for the security services.
What the Law Would Establish
The legislation would create a statutory “duty of candour and assistance” (a legal obligation to act transparently) for public authorities and officials when engaging with inquiries, inquests and similar investigations. It would also create new criminal offences of failing to uphold the duty of candour and assistance and misleading the public.
The bill would introduce “parity of representation” for bereaved families at inquests involving public authorities. Bereaved families will benefit from the largest expansion in legal aid for a decade, providing non-means-tested legal help and representation for inquests.
Looking Ahead: Significance for the UK
Hillsborough Law represents the most significant change to public accountability in decades. Ministers are now speaking with campaigners and bereaved families to try to agree on how to move forward. The outcome of these discussions will determine whether this landmark legislation can fulfil its promise of ending institutional cover-ups while addressing legitimate national security concerns. For families who have waited decades for justice, and for public bodies across the UK, this law could fundamentally reshape the relationship between state institutions and the people they serve.