This bill creates legal duties for public officials to be transparent in inquiries, establishes new misconduct offences, and funds legal aid for bereaved families at inquests involving public authorities.
A Bill to Impose a duty on public authorities and public officials to act with candour, transparency and frankness; to make provision for the enforcement of that duty in their dealings with inquiries and investigations; to require public authorities to promote and take steps to maintain ethical conduct within all parts of the authority; to create an offence in relation to public authorities and public officials who mislead the public; to create further offences in relation to the misconduct of persons who hold public office and to abolish the common law offence of misconduct in public office; to make provision enabling persons to participate at inquiries and investigations where the conduct of public authorities may be in issue; and for connected purposes.
Status: In Progress
Current House: Lords
Stage: Committee stage
Sponsored by: Mr David Lammy, Baroness Levitt
Introduced: 2025-09-16