The Hillsborough Law Now campaign group is "extremely disappointed" after police chiefs apologised for their "profound failures" in 1989 that led to the deaths of 97 supporters but stopped short of backing a change in legislation.
The national body for chief constables acknowledged the "pain and suffering" of bereaved families at the launch of a 56-page response to the 2017 report published by former Bishop of Liverpool James Jones. It marks the first time that police have officially apologised for the disaster.
Yet their reply does not make any reference for a public accountability bill, which is backed by the Labour Party, that would make it a legal duty for authorities and officials to proactively cooperate with inquiries.
In a statement on Tuesday, Hillsborough Law Now said: “We’re extremely disappointed with the police’s response today. The apology, while welcome, makes no reference to a change in legislation which would put an immediate stop to families battling against the state.
“We have long been campaigning for a Public Authority (Accountability) Bill, often referred to as the Hillsborough Law, which would create a legal duty of candour on public authorities and officials to tell the truth and proactively cooperate with official investigations and inquiries.
“It would also provide a ’toolkit’ to enforce compliance with the duty, which would both prevent obfuscation and cover-ups, and lead to much more focused and shorter inquiries, thereby saving millions of pounds of public money, and delivering swifter justice with much less stress to families and witnesses alike.
“Failure to comply would become a criminal offence, and the culture of denial that we have seen in other inquiries, such as Infected Blood and Grenfell, would be minimised. The Labour Party have committed to enacting the Bill in full. We call upon the Government to respond to Bishop James’ report and do the right thing without delay.”
Earlier, Martin Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said he was "deeply sorry for the tragic loss of life, and for the pain and suffering that the families of the 97 victims experienced on that day and in the many years that have followed."
He added: "Collectively, the changes made since the Hillsborough disaster and in response to Rt Reverend James Jones' report aim to ensure the terrible police failures made on the day and in the aftermath can never happen again."
The police response had been delayed until Tuesday because of outstanding legal issues. Andy Marsh, the chief executive of the College of Policing, also made an apology and said that a new code of ethics will be introduced.
"Policing has profoundly failed those bereaved by the Hillsborough disaster over many years and we are sorry that the service got it so wrong," he said. "Police failures were the main cause of the tragedy and have continued to blight the lives of family members ever since. When leadership was most needed, the bereaved were often treated insensitively and the response lacked coordination and oversight.”
Marsh described the impact of the Hillsborough disaster as a “touchstone for long-lasting change” as he promised a police force that will serve with “integrity and empathy”.
He added: “The changes include all police forces in England and Wales signing up to a charter agreeing to acknowledge when mistakes have been made and not seek to defend the indefensible; a strengthened ethical policy which makes candour a key theme, and new guidance for specialist officers supporting families during a tragedy, which learnt lessons from the Hillsborough Families Report, the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the 2017 terrorist attacks.”
In response, Merseyside Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said she supported calls for a Hillsborough Law. She said: “As police leaders, we must strive to increase accountability and transparency within our justice system and enhance the support for victims of crime, especially those left bereft by public disasters, wherever possible.
“Care, compassion, openness, transparency and accountability are values which should be embedded in every layer of policing, criminal justice and government. That’s why I continue to support calls for the Government to bring forward a Hillsborough Law Now to rebalance the scales of justice and ensure these principles are enshrined throughout our system.”
Downing Street defended the lack of a formal government response to the 2017 report with the prime minister’s official spokesman saying the delay was to avoid the risk of prejudicing legal cases. The spokesman said "it's important to ensure we do this properly" while confirming that there is no specific date for a response.
“The Government has been working closely with the relevant departments and organisations to carefully consider and address the points directed at government,” the spokesman said.
“That’s alongside the work with the police, because there are elements that span both government and policing. I understand that some of the Government’s response has been impacted by the need to avoid the risk of prejudice during the Hillsborough criminal proceedings.”
