Public Office (Accountability) Bill (Remaining Stages)

The House passed the remaining stages of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, also known as the Hillsborough Law on Tuesday 14 July 2026.

The Bill is about what the people should expect from the state when the worst happens – honesty, transparency, and a system that stands with victims and their families. For too long, bereaved and traumatised families have been forced to battle to uncover the truth, as institutions have closed ranks and ordinary people have been left to fight the full weight of the state at the moment when they most needed its support.  The Bill is driving a culture change that the country needs, so that when public bodies fail, the response is candour, not cover-up.

Without the determination of the Hillsborough families, we would not have this legislation. No family should ever go through the ordeal they have suffered and they have campaigned for years for this law which belongs to every one of them.

The Bill has been amended to ensure the duty of candour and assistance applies to individual intelligence officers, while establishing secure procedures for the disclosure of sensitive information. Where information can be disclosed, it should be, while ensuring proper protections are in place. National security bodies will now be under the same duty to notify as other public authorities. The Bill expressly states that it does not override existing legislation, such as the Official Secrets Act 1989.

The  Government plans to extend the duty of candour to investigations into police misconduct, serious healthcare incidents including major maternity reviews, serious health and safety investigations, and key ombudsman investigations. This will transform the ability of these investigations to get to the truth.

The Bill includes the largest expansion of legal aid in a generation, granting access to non-means-tested legal aid to families at any inquest where a public authority is an interested person. It will now progress to the House of Lords.

There were 3 votes: 
Public Office (Accountability) Bill Report Stage: Amendment 3:     Ayes 93   Noes 323
Public Office (Accountability) Bill Report Stage: Amendment 199: Ayes 102  Noes 409
Public Office (Accountability) Bill Report Stage: Amendment 19:   Ayes 104  Noes 412