Bishop James Jones, the former Bishop of Liverpool, today released his report, tellingly called: “The patronising disposition of unaccountable power. A report to ensure the pain and suffering of the Hillsborough families is not repeated.”

In it the Bishop calls for a change of corporate culture away from cover-ups, a duty of candour and parity of funding for families at Inquests.

The report makes 25 recommendations including:

• A ‘Charter for Families Bereaved through Public Tragedy’ in which public bodies would commit to placing the public interest above their reputation and approach forms of public scrutiny such as inquiries and inquests with candour.
• ‘Proper participation’ of bereaved families at inquests, including non-means tested, publicly-funded legal representation for bereaved families at inquests at which public bodies are represented; the cost of which would be borne by the government departments whose agencies are frequently represented at inquests.
• Proportionate legal funding of public bodies meaning public bodies are not able to use public money to fund legal representation more advantageous than that which is available to families.
• Cultural change at inquests which would ensure the process is not adversarial, but inquisitorial as intended, upheld by relevant Secretaries of State who should make clear how public bodies should approach inquests.
• Bereaved families put at the heart of inquests, through training of coroners that includes bereaved families, and renewed guidance from the Chief Coroner.

He comes out in support of Hillsborough Law, stating “I agree with the Bill’s aims and with the diagnosis of a culture of institutional defensiveness which underpins it.”

He does however suggest that any action on the Law should await the report of a Law Commission.

Commenting on the report, Elkan Abrahamson from Broudie Jackson Canter, who represented 20 of the families at the Hillsborough Inquest, said:

“The former Bishop has supported Hillsborough Law in his report to Parliament. This should be considered immediately and before the Grenfell Disaster Inquiry takes place.

The Bishop has suggested it waits on The Law Commission report on misconduct in public office; we do not believe it can wait this long. The bereaved of The Grenfell disaster cannot wait. Justice cannot wait.”

Elkan Abrahamson spoke to The Anfield Wrap about the things discussed in the Bishop's report. To listen to the full podcast and here our full response, please visit here.