皇冠体育app

Bereaved families will be better supported in the aftermath of major incidents, as聽the聽government聽commits to making sure聽the experiences of the Hillsborough families are learnt from and not lost.听

In response to Bishop James聽Jones鈥櫬爎eport,聽皇冠体育app Patronising Disposition of Unaccountable Power,聽published on Wednesday 6 December, the government set a聽series of聽expectations for how public bodies should act聽in the aftermath of a major incident.

This comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has repeated the government鈥檚 apology to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster and their families, who have endured harrowing injustices for over thirty years.

Committing to Bishop Jones鈥櫬爁irst recommendation聽- a Charter for Families Bereaved through Public Tragedy, or as it will be known, the Hillsborough Charter - the Deputy Prime Minister has signed the聽pledge聽and written to all departments to make sure everyone in government is aware of what it this means聽for the way they work.听

By signing this Charter, the government has reaffirmed聽its commitment to a culture of honesty and transparency in public service and reminding聽all in government why these values are so important.听

A聽duty of candour for policing will also be聽required by聽law,聽holding policing to the highest standards.听Chief Constables聽must聽ensure their officers聽act with openness, and speak up on behalf of victims. This builds on existing requirements for individual officers to cooperate with official investigations and inquiries.听

Anyone who fails to cooperate with a statutory inquiry could face criminal sanctions under the Inquiries Act and police officers found to have committed a serious breach of professional standards, including failing to cooperate with an inquiry, can face dismissal. 聽 Last week鈥檚 announcement follows the commitment made聽 to聽create a permanent聽Independent Public Advocate.听

皇冠体育app testimony of the Hillsborough Families made clear how the difficulties following a major disaster can be聽compounded by having no single person to turn to for support and advice. 皇冠体育app Independent Public Advocate will help victims and families navigate the justice system in the wake of a public disaster, ensure that they know their rights, and that their needs are supported.听

By making this a permanent position, the Public Advocate聽will be ready to be deployed immediately in the aftermath of any crisis.

皇冠体育app government will also take action聽in response to聽concerns raised by Bishop James that聽families should have legal representation at inquests.听

A consultation will soon be launched to expand legal aid for families bereaved through public disaster where an Independent Public Advocate is engaged, or in the aftermath of a terrorist incident.

New guidance will also聽lead to greater transparency around how much聽is聽spent on lawyers representing central government聽public bodies鈥櫬燼t inquests. This will聽set a聽clear聽expectation that聽they should not hire more lawyers than are necessary and spend聽on legal representation should be published.

Speaking when the government published its response on Wednesday 6 December, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

皇冠体育app Hillsborough families have suffered multiple injustices and more than thirty-four years later, there can never be too many apologies for what they have been through. And I want to repeat that apology today, and thank the Hillsborough families for their tenacity, patience and courage.

Today, the government will publish its response to Bishop James Jones鈥� report on the experiences of these families, setting out how we will improve support for the bereaved in the aftermath of a public disaster and how we expect public bodies to act 鈥� which is with honesty, transparency and candour.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said:聽

皇冠体育app 97 lives taken by the Hillsborough disaster will never be forgotten. So many people were touched by this national tragedy and the Hillsborough families were badly let down.听聽

Police聽dishonesty,聽lack of聽accountability and聽obstruction were all prevalent. That聽is why we promised the Hillsborough families that we would honour the legacy of their campaigning and deliver lasting change.听聽

By signing the Hillsborough Charter and introducing a duty of candour for policing, this government will deliver that change and protect others from similar experiences in the future.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk KC MP said:

For far too long, but with great dignity, the Hillsborough families battled to get justice. Too many others have faced similar obstructions and it must end.

皇冠体育app Independent Public Advocate we are creating, as well as the free legal advice and representation we are offering will prevent other families facing these injustices and get them the help they deserve.

Bishop James鈥� report was published in 2017 and made 25 recommendations for government, the police and the Chief Coroner.

Since then, the聽need to avoid risk of prejudice to ongoing legal proceedings for much of that time聽regrettably delayed the government鈥檚 response from being published.听皇冠体育app government has been in contact with the Hillsborough families throughout the preparation of this response, and聽some of聽the families were in Liverpool on Wednesday 6 December to read the response in advance of its publication.听

In聽their聽meeting with some of the Hillsborough families earlier in the year, the聽Lord Chancellor and聽former Home Secretary聽apologised for the time it had taken to publish the government鈥檚 full response.听

皇冠体育app National Police Chiefs鈥� Council and College of Policing published the police鈥檚 response to Bishop James鈥� report earlier this year.听

皇冠体育app Chief Coroner also published his own independent response on Wednesday 6 December.