Lessons from Hillsborough

The Hillsborough inquest demonstrated why we need to keep the Human Rights Act, one of the barristers representing the families has said.

The jury at the two-year inquest concluded last week that the 96 Liverpool fans who died at Hillsborough on 15 April 1989 were unlawfully killed, concluding a remarkable 27-year campaign by the families for justice.

Patrick Roche was one of 17 Garden Court Chambers barristers representing 77 of the 96 families at the inquest. Writing in NLJ this week, he says the inquests would not have been effective without the Human Rights Act.

Roche says the inquest also highlighted the need for publicly financed representation at inquests—the families emphasised that one of the main differences between the original and the recent inquests is they were properly represented this time.

For logistical reasons, the barristers were split into teams of three or four, each representing about ten families. To cover the one million or so pages of documents disclosed over the two years, each team was allocated a particular area, such as stadium safety or the response of emergency services.

Criminal investigations are ongoing. Roche says: “Justice should be followed by accountability. Operation Resolve and the Independent Police Complaints Commission are conducting criminal investigations into a series of issues including unlawful killing and the police cover up after the disaster. Both are expected to provide reports to the Crown Prosecution Service before the end of the year. We have been told that decisions about prosecution may take a further six months.”