Jan Molby: Hillsborough Law Is a Victory That Should Never Have Been Needed

It took decades of pain and persistence, but the families never gave up and now the truth can no longer be buried.

A fight nobody should have had to fight

When I first read the draft of the Hillsborough Law, I felt a mix of emotions. Relief, respect, and also a deep sense of sadness. Relief that after decades, something real might be put in place to protect ordinary people from being lied to by those in power. Respect for the families who refused to stay quiet when every part of the system tried to silence them. Sadness that it ever had to come to this.

What this proposed law outlines is simple. It forces public officials to tell the truth. Think about that. We are in 2025, and only now are we getting to a point where honesty must be written into law as a legal obligation for those in power. That should rattle you.

It is an admission. An admission that lies were told. That cover-ups happened. That people died, and others were blamed when they should have been protected. This is not about football. It is about justice. And it has been a long, brutal road to get here.

Families who stood taller than the state

Over the years, I have met many of the Hillsborough families. Some I have stayed in touch with. What always struck me was how composed they remained, even when they had every right to be furious. They were lied to. Dismissed. Mocked. And they still fought on.

Their campaign was not just a legal battle. It was personal, emotional, and relentless. It was a fight against a system designed to protect itself. From the very beginning, it was stacked against them. But they did not stop. Now, finally, the law might reflect what they always knew to be true.

They took on the government, the legal system, the media. And they won. Not all at once, not cleanly, but piece by piece. What they have done is remarkable.

They had every door slammed in their faces. They were told to move on. Told to be quiet. Yet they kept going. I do not know how they managed it. To keep that fight alive and not let bitterness take over. That takes something special.

Legal candour, and why it matters

The proposed law introduces a legal duty of candour. That means public officials must act with honesty and integrity at all times, with criminal penalties for serious breaches. It sounds obvious. It should have always been that way. But it has taken over thirty years to get here.

There is also an expansion of legal aid. Bereaved families at inquests will finally have proper, publicly funded legal support. They will no longer be forced to fight the state without the means to do it fairly. Again, this should have existed from the start.

But the reality is simple. We need a law to stop officials from lying. That is where we are. This is not just about one disaster. The Post Office scandal, Grenfell, and others have shown a pattern. This law is a direct response to that. A line drawn that says, people are watching now.

Truth is not a privilege

This is not just about football supporters. This is about every person who has ever been told to sit down when they tried to speak up. Every person who was ignored, ridiculed, or silenced after a tragedy.

People should be able to trust the system when things go wrong. There should be accountability. Not years later. Not when the press finally picks it up. From day one.

We have spent too many years watching institutions protect themselves instead of the people they are supposed to serve. Victims have been treated as troublemakers. That is not justice. That is a cover-up.

The law will not bring back the 97. It will not erase the pain. But it is a step toward making sure this never happens again. It means that if something does go wrong, the families will not be left in the dark.

Do not let it stall again

This is not done. The law still has to make its way through all the proper channels. And based on the last three decades, we know nothing should be taken for granted.

But it is progress. Real progress.

It is a small victory for the families, even if it does not feel like one yet. It sends a message. A clear one. To every public official who ever thought they could bury the truth. You are not untouchable anymore.

This should never have taken so long. But now that we are here, it cannot be allowed to stall. The 97 deserve more. Their families deserve more. And everyone who has ever been ignored or shut out in the face of injustice deserves more.

I admire every single one of them. Every person who stood up and said, “You are lying, and we are not going away.”

This piece was written based on comments made by Jan Molby on the Molby On the Spot podcast, hosted by Trev Downey for Anfield Index.