A new report, ‘All or Nothing’, by INQUEST has brought together testimony of families and victims to inform the government’s forthcoming Hillsborough Law.
The organisation, INQUEST, with the support of the campaigning group Hillsborough Law Now, invited 23 family members and victims with direct experience of inquests and inquiries into deaths and harm caused by public or corporate bodies to facilitate a Family Listening Day on 3 February 2025.
The aim of the report is to hear families and victims’ thoughts on the government’s plans for a Hillsborough Law, which would create a legal duty of candour on public bodies, public servants, and corporations responsible for public safety at all times.
The participants included families, victims and survivors of some of the worst failings of public services and the legal system in the UK. This includes those affected by the Hillsborough disaster, Grenfell Tower fire, Post Office Horizon scandal, infected blood scandal and many others. These participants are united in their concerns about the Government’s plans for a Hillsborough Law, which was included in the 2024 King’s Speech.
The report underlines how families and victims fear the Government will change or amend the 2017 Bill and, as such, are demanding that Hillsborough Law be “all or nothing”.
It also outlined 12 recommendations:
- The Hillsborough Law to be implemented in full
- Full disclosure of evidence, without delay
- Families should be entitled to equality of arms, providing equal access to non-means-tested, public funding for legal representation
- Duty of candour on public and private bodies
- Reform of the coroners service to run alongside a Hillsborough Law in order to improve family experience, consistency and standardise coronial processes
- Sanctions to discourage those seeking to avoid compliance with a Hillsborough Law
- Ensure corporate businesses are integrated into a Hillsborough Law
- Implement an annual reporting mechanism outlining the progress of the Hillsborough Law with the opportunity of feedback from families
- An evaluation process following inquests and public inquiries to assess the experiences of those affected, and the scope, quality and consistency of the processes
- The introduction of timelines for inquests and inquiries
- Protection for whistleblowers to encourage them to come forward without fear of retribution
- A National Oversight Mechanism to monitor and follow-up on the implementation of recommendations arising from inquests, inquiries and other investigations into state-related deaths.
Twenty-one past and present members of Garden Court Chambers represented families at the inquests: Mark George KC, Judy Khan KC, Rajiv Menon KC, Leslie Thomas KC, Pete Weatherby KC, Peter Wilcock KC, Brenda Campbell KC, Emma Favata, Kirsten Heaven, Sean Horstead, Martin Huseyin, Thalia Maragh, James Mehigan, Anna Morris (KC), Allison Munroe (KC), Terry Munyard, Jesse Nicholls, Patrick Roche, Stephen Simblet (KC), Tom Stoate, and Chris Williams. They were instructed by Birnberg Peirce, Broudie Jackson Canter and Harrison Bundey. All counsel and solicitors provided unstinting support to the families in their struggle for truth, justice and accountability.
Read INQUEST’s press release here: “Families demand “All or nothing” Hillsborough Law”.
