THE adoption of a Hillsborough Law is proof “if you do fight, you can get justice” according to Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram. Earlier this week during the King’s Speech, it was confirmed the new Labour government would progress with the legislation named in honour of the 97 Liverpool fans who died at the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, and their families and friends who have campaigned for the new law.

Discussing the landmark moment at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority meeting earlier today, an emotional Mr Rotheram said campaigners had “stood alone and fought for justice” but would change the justice system.

The changes to law would include a new legally enforceable duty of candour for public servants, forcing them to tell the truth during public inquiries and investigations. It would also ensure that victims of disasters or state-related deaths are entitled to a parity of legal representations during inquests and inquiries as well as a public advocate to represent families.

Speaking at the end of the session on Friday afternoon, Mr Rotheram addressed the announcement of the government’s legislative agenda. He said: “For 20-odd years, people in this city and city region stood alone and fought for justice, and I’ll try desperately not to get upset. The enormity of this is overwhelming. We were promised two years ago in the (M&S Bank) arena by Keir Starmer when he was leader of the opposition and he said if we get into power, we’ll ensure we have a Hillsborough Law Now, as it was called.

“That’s happened and I just think that’s so fundamental to the DNA of the people here who stood alone but changed the law, have changed things in statute, so that anybody else who goes through what the families, the survivors, campaigners and everybody else went through, will never have to face the same sort of hurdles they did. The main result of the Hillsborough Law is that they will level up the scales of justice in this country.

“It will force people in senior positions, civil servants and those in public bodies to do something you think would be a matter of course, to tell the truth. I just think that was a wow moment for me.

“There’s lots of other good stuff in it, but locally, just to see that everybody who has played their part in that, has changed the law in this country for the better. It shows you, if you do fight, you can get justice, even if unfortunately it’s not in the way we’re going to get anybody held accountable for the unlawful killing of 97 people but we’ll change the justice system.”

Earlier this week, Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson paid tribute to those who had worked to bring about the change. She said: She said: “I know that your local MPs like Maria Eagle, Andy Burnham as well, have been promoting this, the duty of candour that would be on all public servants. I come from a background where I’ve campaigned on the infected blood inquiry so I know how important this is and how important this is to Liverpool in particular.

“It was announced in the first King’s Speech of a Labour government, we haven’t had for Labour government in 14 years, so I think it shows the focus and importance the Labour government are going to put on getting this through. Clearly the legislation and the bill has to be presented to Parliament.”