The tragic legacy of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, where 97 football fans lost their lives due to police negligence and a subsequent cover-up, ignited a crucial campaign for accountability. This led to the proposed “Hillsborough Law,” formally the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, designed to ensure that after major incidents, truth and transparency prevail, preventing future cover-ups.
However, a critical amendment to this vital legislation is now raising serious alarms. The mayors of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, and Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, are leading urgent calls for its withdrawal. They argue this amendment creates a “too broad an opt-out,” giving intelligence officials unchecked power to decide what information is released to investigators after a major incident.
Hillsborough campaigners and legal experts warn that this loophole could allow security services to “hide serious failures behind a vague claim of national security,” fundamentally undermining the very spirit of the law. While acknowledging the importance of national security, the mayors emphasize that strengthening a country’s defenses includes establishing the truth swiftly when things go wrong.
Prominent lawyer Elkan Abrahamson highlights that the amendment grants security service heads unchallenged authority to withhold information. He suggests it should be up to the head of an independent inquiry to determine relevance, especially since existing national security exemptions already allow sensitive evidence to be heard privately. MP Ian Byrne also voices strong opposition, vowing not to support the bill if this amendment passes, stressing his commitment to a Hillsborough Law “without exemptions, without loopholes, and without carve-outs.”
The call is clear: the government must withdraw this amendment and work with the families and the “Hillsborough Law Now” campaign to create a truly robust law that guarantees accountability across all public services.
