Elkan Abrahamson is a solicitor and campaigner with Hillsborough Law Now
Following the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, at which 97 people lost their lives, bereaved families have spent decades fighting to reveal the truth. Exposures which followed led to the campaign for a “Hillsborough law”.
It was developed by myself and others, and introduced to parliament by Andy Burnham in 2017. It aims to establish a “duty of candour” on public authorities and officials to tell the truth and to proactively cooperate with official investigations and inquiries. It would also provide parity of legal representation for victims of disasters or state-related deaths.
A series of other scandals and cover-ups – including the infected blood scandal, the Post Office Horizon system and, particularly relevant for FBU members, Grenfell – have shown the need for this. What does this mean in practice? It should ensure that any disaster is followed by an honest and open search for truth.
Public bodies should cooperate so that a report with recommendations is published and acted on promptly, ultimately saving lives. Junior officers should not feel intimidated into covering up mistakes.
The law would require every public body to have a code of ethics promoting ethical behaviour, transparency and candour, and protection for whistleblowers.
At the recent Labour party conference, Keir Starmer promised to introduce the legislation by the 35th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in April. The ramifications for the fire service will need to be considered and training provided.
