After years of campaigning and pressure, the long-awaited Public Office (Accountability) Bill – known as the ‘Hillsborough Law’ – has been given formal approval in Parliament.
The new law places a legal responsibility on public authorities and officials to act with candour, transparency and frankness in the aftermath of major disasters. The law also ensures fairer legal representations for bereaved families, removing the need for means testing so that all families have access to legal support when facing a public authority using legal representation.
Cllr Graham Morgan, Leader of Knowsley Council welcomed the news. He said:
“This is a monumentally important moment, not just for all the Hillsborough victims and their families but for this country as a whole.
“This new law will ensure no other victims and their loved ones face the kind of ‘cover up’ which prevented the Hillsborough families from getting justice, for so long.
“Agreeing this new law is a hugely positive step forward but it is an absolute testament to the grit and determination of the campaigners who have fought long and hard for this moment. It hasn’t been an easy journey and its one they have navigated alongside their own grief and loss. What they have collectively achieved for this country and for us all will never be forgotten.
“On behalf of the communities of Knowsley I say a huge thank you!”
Many individuals and families from Knowsley were directly impacted by the Hillsborough Disaster which claimed the lives of 97 Liverpool football club supporters in 1989.
One of those Knowsley residents is Margaret Aspinall CBE, whose18 -year-old son lost his life at Hillsborough. In January 2025 Knowsley Council awarded Margaret the Freedom of the Borough of Knowsley – the highest honour possible – in recognition of her tireless campaign for justice. You can read more and watch a short film about her here.