Public Office (Accountability) Bill - introduced to Parliament 16 September 2025

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill is now before Parliament. It is a Bill 'to impose a duty on public authorities and public officials to act with candour, transparency and frankness; to make provision for the enforcement of that duty in their dealings with inquiries and investigations; to require public authorities to promote and take steps to maintain ethical conduct within all parts of the authority; to create an offence in relation to public authorities and public officials who mislead the public; to create further offences in relation to the misconduct of persons who hold public office and to abolish the common law offence of misconduct in public office; to make provision enabling persons to participate at inquiries and investigations where the conduct of public authorities may be in issue; and for connected purposes.' 

The Bill (as introduced) - Public Office (Accountability) Bill and Explanatory Notes

 

Although it is a relatively short Bill

- (26 clauses and 6 Schedules) - there is a lot in it requiring thought and analysis. Therefore, this post is not in any way a detailed study.  

The Explanatory Notes tells us - 'The Public Office (Accountability) Bill gives effect to the commitment in the Labour Party's 2024 manifesto to introduce a ‘Hillsborough Law’ which will “place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities and provide legal aid for victims of disasters or state-related deaths”. The Hillsborough disaster is a great stain on British history – this Bill aims to ensure that what happened following the disaster can never take place again. Public officials will be bound by duties of candour with criminal and professional consequences and action will be taken to help empower bereaved families to effectively participate in inquests where the state is involved — helping to address any imbalance of power and promote transparency and fairness.'

The Hillsborough Stadium disaster occurred 36 years ago. A number of posts related to Hillsborough are on this blog and may be found by entering Hillsborough in the search facility - (top left of the screen). A so-called "Hillsborough Law" has been called for over many of those years.

The Ministry of Justice is sponsoring the Bill. The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor is Mr David Lammy MP - (who is also Deputy Prime Minister). 

The Guardian 16 September 2025 

Addition 16 September 2025 

The Justice Gap 16 September 2025

Inquest - INQUEST is the only charity providing expertise on state related deaths and their investigation to bereaved people, lawyers, advice and support agencies, the media and parliamentarians .....