Hillsborough Law bill passes Lords committee despite emergency services concerns

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, dubbed the Hillsborough Law, successfully completed its committee stage in the House of Lords, establishing a statutory duty of candour for public authorities during investigations. During debate, Baroness Levitt warned that the proposed offence of seriously improper conduct fails to apply to paramedics, referencing a prosecution where a paramedic's misconduct could not be upheld because the role was not deemed a public office.

She stressed that this gap could allow serious abuse of vulnerable patients to go unpunished. Lord Lemos, the justice minister, replied that a Law Commission review recommended keeping frontline healthcare staff outside the bill’s scope unless they work in state detention, citing the mixed public-private nature of health services. He cautioned that extending the bill to include such workers would create arbitrary distinctions and add complexity. The legislation will now be examined at the report stage in the Lords, with amendments voted on before it returns to the Commons for final approval.