Home Office
Bereaved families will be better supported in the aftermath of major incidents, asthegovernmentcommits to making surethe experiences of the Hillsborough families are learnt from and not lost.
In response to Bishop JamesJonesreport,The Patronising Disposition of Unaccountable Power,published on Wednesday 6 December, the government set aseries ofexpectations for how public bodies should actin the aftermath of a major incident.
This comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has repeated the governments apology to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster and their families, who have endured harrowing injustices for over thirty years.
Committing to Bishop Jonesfirst recommendation- a Charter for Families Bereaved through Public Tragedy, or as it will be known, the Hillsborough Charter - the Deputy Prime Minister has signed thepledgeand written to all departments to make sure everyone in government is aware of what it this meansfor the way they work.
By signing this Charter, the government has reaffirmedits commitment to a culture of honesty and transparency in public service and remindingall in government why these values are so important.
Aduty of candour for policing will also berequired bylaw,holding policing to the highest standards.Chief Constablesmustensure their officersact with openness, and speak up on behalf of victims. This builds on existing requirements for individual officers to cooperate with official investigations and inquiries.
Anyone who fails to cooperate with a statutory inquiry could face criminal sanctions under the Inquiries Act and police officers found to have committed a serious breach of professional standards, including failing to cooperate with an inquiry, can face dismissal. Last weeks announcement follows the commitment made tocreate a permanentIndependent Public Advocate.
The testimony of the Hillsborough Families made clear how the difficulties following a major disaster can becompounded by having no single person to turn to for support and advice. The Independent Public Advocate will help victims and families navigate the justice system in the wake of a public disaster, ensure that they know their rights, and that their needs are supported.
By making this a permanent position, the Public Advocatewill be ready to be deployed immediately in the aftermath of any crisis.
The government will also take actionin response toconcerns raised by Bishop James thatfamilies should have legal representation at inquests.
A consultation will soon be launched to expand legal aid for families bereaved through public disaster where an Independent Public Advocate is engaged, or in the aftermath of a terrorist incident.
New guidance will alsolead to greater transparency around how muchisspent on lawyers representing central governmentpublic bodiesat inquests. This willset aclearexpectation thatthey should not hire more lawyers than are necessary and spendon legal representation should be published.
Speaking when the government published its response on Wednesday 6 December, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
The Hillsborough families have suffered multiple injustices and more than thirty-four years later, there can never be too many apologies for what they have been through. And I want to repeat that apology today, and thank the Hillsborough families for their tenacity, patience and courage.
Today, the government will publish its response to Bishop James Jones report on the experiences of these families, setting out how we will improve support for the bereaved in the aftermath of a public disaster and how we expect public bodies to act which is with honesty, transparency and candour.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said:
The 97 lives taken by the Hillsborough disaster will never be forgotten. So many people were touched by this national tragedy and the Hillsborough families were badly let down.
Policedishonesty,lack ofaccountability andobstruction were all prevalent. Thatis why we promised the Hillsborough families that we would honour the legacy of their campaigning and deliver lasting change.
By signing the Hillsborough Charter and introducing a duty of candour for policing, this government will deliver that change and protect others from similar experiences in the future.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk KC MP said:
For far too long, but with great dignity, the Hillsborough families battled to get justice. Too many others have faced similar obstructions and it must end.
The Independent Public Advocate we are creating, as well as the free legal advice and representation we are offering will prevent other families facing these injustices and get them the help they deserve.
Bishop James report was published in 2017 and made 25 recommendations for government, the police and the Chief Coroner.
Since then, theneed to avoid risk of prejudice to ongoing legal proceedings for much of that timeregrettably delayed the governments response from being published.The government has been in contact with the Hillsborough families throughout the preparation of this response, andsome ofthe families were in Liverpool on Wednesday 6 December to read the response in advance of its publication.
Intheirmeeting with some of the Hillsborough families earlier in the year, theLord Chancellor andformer Home Secretaryapologised for the time it had taken to publish the governments full response.
The National Police Chiefs Council and College of Policing published the polices response to Bishop James report earlier this year.
The Chief Coroner also published his own independent response