Whywas the family denied legal aid?

I FIRST met Zane’s family at a meeting in Westminster following the historic inquest earlier this year which finally delivered justice after 27 years for the families of those who died at Hillsborough. I wanted MPs to confront a simple question: what changes to the law did we need to make inquests fairer for the bereaved?

We heard how families had been denied legal aid and were forced to spend their life savings and even borrow large sums in the quest for the truth.

In the questions at the end, a woman told Margaret Aspinall, the leading campaigner whose son James died at Hillsborough: ‘The injustice you faced is still happening today. My son’s inquest is due to start in a few weeks. Public bodies are involved and they have got QCs to represent. But we have been denied legal aid.’

Straight away, I saw in Nicole Gbangbola the same dignified

Inquest left them feeling as though they were on trial

determination that was the hallmark of the Hillsborough families.

A few days later, I met Nicole and Kye and heard about the tragic death of Zane. My alarm bells started ringing. Given that so many public bodies were involved, how could this family have been denied legal aid?

But worse was to come at the inquest. Witnesses crucial to the family’s case were simply not called. Evidence relating to the family’s concerns about cyanide from a local landfill was ruled out. One of the QCs even admitted in open court that his aim was to ‘discredit the family’. I am not in a position to say what the truth about this case is. But once again an inquest leaves a bereaved family feeling like it was they who were on trial.

The sad fact is that, in 2016, bereaved families are no better protected than the Hillsborough families in 1990.

As a result, new injustices are being created all the time.

That’s why I am campaigning for the proposed new Hillsborough Law. This would compel public officials, and their QCs, to be truthful and open at inquiries. And it would guarantee equal legal funding when bereaved families are up against the state.

Later this year I will invite the Gbangbolas to Parliament to speak in support of this law. I want the British Establishment to hear the impassioned call of these decent, ordinary people: Stop putting us on trial.