Survivors urge public to back Hillsborough Law that enforces ‘fundamental principle’ of truth

Dr Anne Eyre from the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance has urged the wider public to back renewed calls for a Hillsborough Law to be put it in place.

Bereaved families, former Prime Ministers and a host of high-profile public figures came together on Friday in a joint call for a major re-balancing of the justice system to prevent others from going through what the Hillsborough families have gone through.

Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram and mayor of Greater ManchesterAndy Burnham helped spearhead the #HillsboroughLawNow campaign after a surge in public awareness following the airing of the highly emotive ITV drama Anne this week.

The programme depicts how Liverpool mum Anne Williams challenged medical evidence following her son’s original inquest, refusing to accept the verdict of accidental death following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.

Dr Eyre, who was a student when she attended the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest when 97 people were unlawfully killed, said: “The Hillsborough Law is very important, and people should get behind it. It’s such a basic, simple, fundamental principle.

“Until you watch programmes like Anne, you might think, why would we have to have a law that requires people to tell the truth in court - the duty of candour - sadly, we need it.

“In addition to that, I think its very important that people speak up about problems in organisations and safety issues before disasters happen.”

What is the Hillsborough Law?

The Hillsborough Law would introduce a statutory duty of candour on public servants during all forms of public inquiry and criminal investigation.

It also aims to ensure proper participation of bereaved families at inquests, through publicly-funded legal representation, and the provision of a public advocate to act for families of the deceased after major incidents.

Support for Hillsborough survivors

The Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance provides support, therapy, education and mental health awareness for anyone who is a survivor of the disaster and partners or family members.

HSA has developed a new therapy designed by survivors for survivors. It’s called Hillsborough Transformational Recovery Model, which 98 people have completed so far.

“Many of us have coped by bottling stuff up and walking alone with it, and you don’t have to suffer. You don’t have to walk alone,” Dr Eyre said. “Please reach out. If you want to talk to us, we're here for you."