WARRINGTON North Constituency Labour Party (CLP) has passed a motion unanimously supporting the proposal of the Hillsborough law.
Chair Marc Rufus said: “It’s easy to forget the impact a type of tragedy like Hillsborough has on people’s lives once the stories leave the front pages.
“But this law would cover disasters like the Manchester bombings or Grenfell and help bring closer, via justice, without the financial troubles for families already dealing with one of the worst things that can happen to them.
“You don’t need to be a football fan or even a Liverpool fan to understand the hurt the families of Hillsborough have had to suffer. Four of those families were from our town; 19-year-old Ian ‘Ronnie’ Whelan, of Duckworth Grove,
Padgate, David Benson, aged 22, of Hall Nook, Penketh; 19-year-old Colin Ashcroft, of Strawberry Close, Locking Stumps; and Eric Hughes, aged 42, of Barmouth Close, Callands. With Liverpool and Manchester councils already backing
the campaign for this law it only seems right our town should – hence our CLP will campaign to make this happen.”
The motoion to support Hillsborough Law was proposed by Richie Norman
Hillsborough law would:
• A Public Advocate to act for families of the deceased after major incidents.
• Giving bereaved families better access to money for legal representation at inquests. The measure would allow families, who often find themselves facing expensive QCs, to afford lawyers themselves – creating an equal playing field.
• Put in place a duty of candour for all police officers and public officials which means they must be open and honest when something goes wrong.
• A Charter for families bereaved through public tragedy which would be binding on all public bodies.
• A requirement that evidences and findings of major inquests must be taken fully into account at any subsequent criminal trials.
• Clarification in law that major inquiries commissioned by the government or other official bodies constitute “courses of public justice”.
• A requirement that any criminal trials following a major inquest take place in a court with relevant expertise and status, rather than a crown court.
