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  • 5 months ago
The Public Office (Accountability) Bill introduced to Parliament on Tuesday will begin its journey towards becoming law.

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00:00The so-called Hillsborough law will leave a legacy for future generations, one of the campaigners at the heart of the battle for justice said after meeting the Prime Minister in Downing Street.
00:09The new Public Office Accountability Bill is intended to make sure the authorities will face criminal sanctions if they attempt to cover up the facts behind disasters such as the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy or the Grenfell Tower fire.
00:23Prime Minister Sakiya Starmer had previously pledged to bring in the law by the 36th anniversary of the tragedy which was on the 15th of April but Downing Street then said more time was needed to redraft it.
00:36At a meeting with some of the families of those killed at Hillsborough, Sakiya acknowledged it had been a battle with frank discussions continuing as his deadline passed.
00:46Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James died at Hillsborough, said she is hopeful the new law will mean no one will ever have to suffer like they did.
00:56The Prime Minister said the courage shown by the Hillsborough campaigners had been humbling.
01:02Some campaigners raised fears the bill's contents had been diluted and would not include a legal duty of candour.
01:09But the government has confirmed a new professional and legal duty of candour will be part of the bill, meaning public officials must act with honesty and integrity at all times and could face criminal sanctions if they breach it.
01:23The government said the new legislation will end the culture of cover-ups and learn lessons from wider disasters including the Grenfell Tower fire, the post office horizon and infected blood scandals.
01:34There will also be a new offence for misleading the public, which the government said will mean criminal sanctions for the most serious breaches.
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