Hillsborough ~ the Police "cover up" ~ compensation for relatives

An agreement has been reached under which South Yorkshire Police and West Midlands Police will fund compensation payments for the police "cover up" which followed the Hillsborough football stadium tragedy of 15 April 1989 - The Guardian 4 June 2021.

More information is available in this statement by Garden Court Chambers. The settled civil claims were for misfeasance in public office and relate only to damage caused by the cover-up and not the disaster itself. As the statement points out - "the cover up was deliberate, orchestrated and thoroughly dishonest" and was "maintained for nearly 30 years."

The Garden Court statement concludes

by pressing the case for a duty of candour to be placed on public bodies - (previous post) - and for bereaved families to have adequate public funding to enable them to be effectively represented at an inquiry or inquest into the death of their relatives.

For discussion of the elements of the tort of misfeasance in public office see Three Rivers District Council v Governor of the Bank of England [2000] UKHL 33.  Note: The stated law was not intended to be an "essay on the tort" but it stated the ingredients of the tort so far as material to the the pleadings in the actual case.

Other:

In 2012, following the Independent Panel Report, the Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police apologised for actions taken by the Force following Hillsborough - BBC News 12 September 2012

The Guardian - 1 May 2016 - Justice, finally: a Hillsborough survivor's story

The Spectator 5 June 2021 - the view of Chris Daw QC - There was no Hillsborough 'cover up'

Extra Note 29 July:

BBC News - Hillsborough: Fan injured in stadium disaster dies 32 years later - Mr Andrew Devine became the 97th fatality of the Hillsborough Stadium tragedy when a Coroer ruled that Andrew was unlawfully killed.