The United Kingdom** said it was "not necessary" to enact the Hillsborough Act
* In response to a report on the experiences of the families of the deceased, the call for the enactment of the Hillsborough Act was not heeded.
Former Liverpool bishop Rev James Jones lays out 25 takeaways in his report, The Patronising Disposition of Unaccountable Power, published in November 2017 following an independent investigation into the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans in the FA Cup semi-finals in Sheffield in 1989.
In a response published Wednesday, it said it had signed the Hillsborough Charter, pledging to "put the public interest above reputation," but said there was no need for a Hillsborough Act that would include legal liability.
In the report's foreword, Home Secretary James Cleverly and Justice Secretary Alex Chuck acknowledged that the response had taken "too long and exacerbated the suffering of families and survivors of the Hillsborough incident".
"We apologize for this", they added.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "Thirty-four years later, we cannot overstate our apologies for what the families of Hillsborough have endured.
I want to repeat that apology today and thank the Hillsborough family for their tenacity, patience and courage. ”
In his 2017 report, Jones called for "full consideration" of enacting the Hillsborough Act, or the Public Power (Accountability) Act, which would enshrine in law a duty to public authorities, including public authorities and the public to be honest, requiring them to speak the truth and actively cooperate with official investigations and inquiries.
However, ** replied that it was "not known" whether there were any gaps or clarifications in the existing law and that new legislation was needed to further encourage legal candor among public officials.
It is reported that** argues that such legislation has the potential to "create conflict and confusion" due to the fact that a framework of responsibilities and obligations has been developed in the aftermath of the disaster.
In 2021, retired police officers Donald Denton, Alan Foster and former Force lawyer Peter Metcalf were charged with amending their testimony after the incident to minimise liability in South Yorkshire, but were acquitted of the pervertion of justice after a judge ruled they were not responsible for the case.
Justice William D**is said the revised statement was for a public investigation into safety issues at the playing field led by Officer Taylor, but it was not a public justice proceeding.
*In the report, it was "entirely reasonable" for families and survivors to be frustrated by ***'s avoidance.
But ** says that people's expectations and requirements have changed a lot since 1989. "Continuing to promote and encourage a culture of honesty in public servants" is vital and an important part of the Hillsborough Charter signed by Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden on Representative**.
In his report, Mr. Jones presented a charter for public tragedy, in which he said that the culture of public institutions needed "substantial change."
Leaders of public institutions that sign the charter will commit to putting the public interest ahead of their reputations, to be open about all forms of public scrutiny (including public inquiries and coroner's investigations), and to refrain from defending unjustifiable matters.
Other organisations that have signed the charter include the National Police Chiefs' Commission, the Police College, the Crown Prosecution Service and London's Kensington and Chelsea District Councils, the report said.
*In response, it also stated that consultations would be held on expanding legal aid for post-mortem investigations.
The coroner's investigation into the fatalities that occurred in Liverpool's match against Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989 was concluded in 2016 and found that fans were "unlawfully killed"* and that a failure of the ambulance service caused or contributed to their deaths.
The day's on-site commander, D**id Duckenfield, was charged with gross negligence manslaughter in 2017, but in a 2019 retrial, he was acquitted after a jury failed to reach a verdict at his first trial.