A long awaited new Bill has been presented to the Government on 16 September 2025 which places a legal duty of candour on public officials and authorities and provides for bereaved families with publicly funded legal representation at inquests.

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, otherwise known as the Hillsborough Law Bill, is intended to ensure more fairness and an equal footing for bereaved families, preventing the likes of cover-ups, as seen in the Hillsborough disaster, the Grenfell Fire Disaster the Post Office Horizon Scandal and Infected Blood Scandal, from occurring again.

As the name of the Bill indicates, it is about holding public officials and authorities accountable; they are obliged to be open and honest and also to ensure that their spending on legal costs is proportionate. The handling of the Hillsborough disaster and the Post Office Scandal exemplified how public authorities in the past have hidden behind legal representatives whilst bereaved families struggled to afford legal representation, which could have helped to ensure that their voices were heard at inquests and to uncover the truth surrounding their loved ones.

Following the persistence of campaigners, it is hoped that the Bill will help to level the playing field for any families affected by disasters like these in the future. The Bill will allow bereaved families to have representation through Legal Aid, on a non-means tested basis. This means that all families, regardless of income, would be provided with Legal Aid to fund legal representation at an inquest where a public authority is an interested person (as noted at 18.1.b.e of the Hillsborough Law Bill – Public Office (Accountability) Bill).

As part of new guidance, expectations will be established as to how state bodies and their representatives should participate at inquest, to ensure that they assist the coroner with understanding the facts and deliver much needed answers for victims and their families during what is already a distressing time.

The Bill will also replace the current Misconduct in Public Office offence and will uphold the high standards the public expect and deserve from officials. It will have the scope to enforce sanctions on them should they not live up to those high standard and deliberately try to cover up the facts behind tragedy. Alex Davies-Jones MP, the Minister for Victims, confirmed that “Every public servant will be bound to tell the truth. They will be bound by honesty, openness and accountability.”

Although this Bill as not been implemented as an Act of Parliament at the present time, it provides hope to those individuals who have been fighting for such a change to English Law since the Hillsborough Disaster and other disasters following this, to provide

Families with the help they need, and prevent organisations from covering anything up. It should provide the systematic change needed to support families of victims.

It also reflects the biggest expansion of legal aid in a decade; in recent years, the scope of legal aid has been drastically reduced in all areas and in respect of inquests, left families often forced to attend inquests without legal representation.

We at Williamsons welcome the changes proposed by the new bill; we have always fought for bereaved families to have their voices heard and we see this as a move in the right direction to ensure that the coronial process can be as helpful as possible. We have a contract with the Legal Aid Agency to offer legal aid and we hope, once the bill has passed, to continue supporting bereaved families with their fight for justice.