UK Parliament pass law preventing police cover ups

A law intended to prevent police and other officials from covering up errors

and wrongdoing was unanimously approved by British lawmakers on Tuesday.

This 37 years after the Hillsborough disaster,

the country's deadliest sports tragedy

sparked a campaign for justice.

Disaster struck at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield

April 15, 1989 during an FA Cup semi final between Liverpool

and Nottingham Forest.

97 Liverpool supporters died and more than 750 injured

during a crowd crush in two standing-only areas of the stadium.

An exit gate meant to ease the crowd by letting people out, was opened

but lead to an influx of supporters entering the pens causing the crush.

In 2012 an independent inquiry found police had covered up their

own mistakes and blamed the deaths on unruly supporters.

Families of the victims have fought long and hard to bring those

responsible to justice.

The Public Office (Accountability) Bill or Hillsborough Law

passed by lawmakers Tuesday

imposes a legal duty or candor on public officials to tell the truth

about public tragedies whatever the impact on their reputation.

\KEIR STARMER\UK Prime Minister

Hillsborough families fought so that no family like them should

ever have to endure and suffer what they went through.

What they have done will protect individuals and families

that they'll never know, they'll never meet, but we'll never

have to go through what they went through. That is incredibly

inspiring and humbling in my view.

ANDY BURNHAM\UK Member of Parliament

It does feel tonight like life is coming full circle

and as we pass this momentous piece of legislation

a piece of legislation that will change the way this country

thinks and works about justice

it truly is a rewriting of the state and a passing of power

from the authorities to the hands of ordinary people.

Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall called the legislation

a great win and added it means that people who need funding

especially in state related deaths, will get legal aid.