đ Working since 2016 to criminalise lying in UK politics âď¸MPs and Peers have left themselves out of the Hillsborough Law! âď¸ Sign our petition to add them in
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Marcus J Ball (Private Prosecutor and Producer) retweeted
Please share this âŹď¸
âIf you still doubt what I'm saying then please see the attached video of me questioning Pete Weatherby KC at a Garden Court Chambers event. He admits on camera that MPs (all legislators) are not included but Ministers are. Even his lawyer colleague didn't know that and apologised for getting it wrong so it's clear most people have no idea.â
Hi again, Charlotte. I'm copying in @HillsboroughSu1 AND @LawHillsborough and @DebatINQUEST here because your message has revealed to me something very important. You seem to genuinely believe that legislators (MPs etc) are included under the Duty of Candour and I assume the Misleading the Public offence?
I'm very sorry (and I'm angry about it which is I'm campaigning) but this isn't right. MPs have a carve out (just as the security services wanted before).
You are totally correct, and I completely agree with you, that Parliamentary Privilege (Article 9 Bill of Rights) will never be amended and so the new offences could only apply to acts outside of what is said and done in proceedings in Parliament.
For me, that's enough. I think that when legislators are speaking on television, the radio, social media, or at events etc outside their Parliaments, they should be held to account under the Misleading the Public offence. At present, they are not.
I also think it's completely insane that, in an inquest or an inquiry, if a member of Parliament is called to give evidence, they will not be required legally to abide by the Duty of Candour (whereas nearly everyone else who works for the public will be). It'll be a humiliation of that event and our Parliaments every time that happens.
You can see from my attached image of Schedule 2 that they are exempted. As are members of all Parliaments across the UK. If you don't believe me please just read schedule 2 now and you'll see. Link: bills.parliament.uk/publicatâŚ
If you still doubt what I'm saying then please see the attached video of me questioning Pete Weatherby KC at a Garden Court Chambers event. He admits on camera that MPs (all legislators) are not included but Ministers are. Even his lawyer colleague didn't know that and apologised for getting it wrong so it's clear most people have no idea.
Perhaps let's have a call? The Hillsborough Bill must become law no matter what but if the law makers themselves aren't included then it'll enormously damage public trust in democracy as it'll be seen as hypocritical.
Up for a call to discuss? I think all legislators in the UK need to be included for acts outside their Parliaments.
Two years in prison if the state lies to you. Great. But the lawmakers have left themselves out.
Sign the petition: execprosec.org/petition/?refâŚ
Hi again, Charlotte. I'm copying in @HillsboroughSu1 AND @LawHillsborough and @DebatINQUEST here because your message has revealed to me something very important. You seem to genuinely believe that legislators (MPs etc) are included under the Duty of Candour and I assume the Misleading the Public offence?
I'm very sorry (and I'm angry about it which is I'm campaigning) but this isn't right. MPs have a carve out (just as the security services wanted before).
You are totally correct, and I completely agree with you, that Parliamentary Privilege (Article 9 Bill of Rights) will never be amended and so the new offences could only apply to acts outside of what is said and done in proceedings in Parliament.
For me, that's enough. I think that when legislators are speaking on television, the radio, social media, or at events etc outside their Parliaments, they should be held to account under the Misleading the Public offence. At present, they are not.
I also think it's completely insane that, in an inquest or an inquiry, if a member of Parliament is called to give evidence, they will not be required legally to abide by the Duty of Candour (whereas nearly everyone else who works for the public will be). It'll be a humiliation of that event and our Parliaments every time that happens.
You can see from my attached image of Schedule 2 that they are exempted. As are members of all Parliaments across the UK. If you don't believe me please just read schedule 2 now and you'll see. Link: bills.parliament.uk/publicatâŚ
If you still doubt what I'm saying then please see the attached video of me questioning Pete Weatherby KC at a Garden Court Chambers event. He admits on camera that MPs (all legislators) are not included but Ministers are. Even his lawyer colleague didn't know that and apologised for getting it wrong so it's clear most people have no idea.
Perhaps let's have a call? The Hillsborough Bill must become law no matter what but if the law makers themselves aren't included then it'll enormously damage public trust in democracy as it'll be seen as hypocritical.
Up for a call to discuss? I think all legislators in the UK need to be included for acts outside their Parliaments.
Marcus J Ball (Private Prosecutor and Producer) retweeted
Signed.
Politicians have written themselves out of the Hillsborough Law.
No duty of candour for MPs and peers. No offence either.
Sign the petition: execprosec.org/petition/?refâŚ
Marcus J Ball (Private Prosecutor and Producer) retweeted
Some of you may remember the MP's expenses scandal.
It began when MP's passed the Freedom of Information Act.
They assumed that Parliament would be above their new law.
They were wrong and some of them went to prison and I loved it.
Watch the clip then please sign the petition.
This is Charlotte Hennessy (who has blocked me so I canât reply). Charlotte has posted this on one of my videos. She is one of the champions of @NowHillsborough and one of the most consistent and outspoken voices on the Hillsborough Law.
Which is why itâs even more of a revelation to see that not even her, one of the movementâs biggest names, is aware that legislators are currently not included under the Hillsborough Law. MPs, Peers, MSs, MSPs, and MLAâs will have no Duty of Candour or any requirement to abide by the Misleading the Public Offence. They are all cut out of schedule 2. Our amendment proposes adding them in for all their acts outside of parliamentary proceedings.
It sounds like we want the same thing, Charlotte? Weâre just disagreeing on if we already have it. Please check the Bill text and youâll see. Full briefing here: execprosec.org/amendments-brâŚ
Also please stop sending me abuse I would appreciate it. Your work and this Bill is historic and vital. I am just trying to improve parts that Iâve noticed donât work (democratic process etc).
Politicians have written themselves out of the Hillsborough Law.
No duty of candour for MPs and peers. No offence either.
Sign the petition: execprosec.org/petition/?refâŚ
Marcus J Ball (Private Prosecutor and Producer) retweeted
Living in a country where MPs & Lords make the law but donât have to abide by it. Enquiry after enquiry but nothing ever changes.
Marcus J Ball (Private Prosecutor and Producer) retweeted
The Hillsborough Law was supposed to hold public officials accountable for deliberately misleading the public!
Only ⌠MPs and peers have EXCLUDED themselves from the new law when acting as public officials!
So the people who made the law have ensured the law doesnât apply to them. Only to the little people. So whatâs the point of it?
The House of Lords is about to pass the Hillsborough Law without including themselves.
Peers could mislead the public on TV and break no law.
Ask me in the comments how you can help.
Government ministers: yes. MPs: nope. Peers: nope.
The Prime Minister is covered. Backbench MPs and peers aren't.
Help me change it before it becomes law: share this.
A nurse who lies to the public could go to prison. An MP who says the same words won't.
Ministers, police and civil servants are covered. Backbench MPs and peers aren't.
Send this to someone who needs to see it.
1/3 Lying to the public is about to become a crime in the UK.
Ministers, civil servants, police, the military: all covered by the new Hillsborough Law.
Guess who isn't? The people writing it.
2/3 Backbench MPs, shadow ministers and peers are writing themselves out of the offence, which carries up to two years in prison.
Our amendment covers every legislator across the UK, for what they say outside Parliament. Peers vote on it later this year.
3/3 A law against deceiving the public cannot exempt the people who make the laws.
Please share this. Back the campaign: execprosec.org
It's happening again: the Conservative front bench want to delay the Hillsborough Law's Misleading the Public offence until the government finishes a review. No deadline.
It's only a probing amendment for now. If it came back for a vote at Report stage, that would be bad.
1/3 Last night two peers tried to delete the heart of the Hillsborough Law: the offence that makes it a crime for public officials to deliberately mislead the public. They gave no statement saying it was just a probing amendment.
It failed. The offence stays in the Bill.
2/3 Lord Alton said removing it would "lobotomise this bill", warning of "bewilderment, perhaps even betrayal" among the Hillsborough families. The Government said it must stay.
No vote was forced. Thank you to the peers who stood up for the families.