The call for Advocates for victims of major incidents arises from the lessons learned from the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster. The investigation and inquests that followed that tragedy were heavily criticised and the families had to fight for many years to establish the truth of what happened on that day.
	Although important reforms have been made in recent years to support and empower victims of major incidents, the aftermath of a major incident can involve multiple rules and procedures that are unfamiliar to most people. This can be daunting, confusing, and overwhelming.
	Introducing The Advocates for victims of major incidents has been a long-standing Government commitment which was set out in the 2017 Queen’s Speech. The advocates will provide advice and support to victims of a major incident which could include any investigation, inquest and inquiry that follows.
	The Ministry of Justice consulted on the proposal to establish advocates for victims of major incidents in 2018. A high-level response to this consultation was published alongside a statement from the Government in March 2023 announcing the creation of advocates for major incidents and setting out the intention to place it on a statutory footing. The measures in this Act do this.
	A number of existing legal disclosure requirements already apply to public authorities, public servants and officials in relation to a variety of proceedings. Public authorities, for example, are under a duty of candour during judicial reviews; during inquiries, the chairperson has powers to compel the production of evidence and documentation; and civil servants are bound by the civil service code which requires them to act honestly and with integrity.
	Concern has been raised in recent years that the existing requirements have not been sufficient to ensure the desired levels of transparency and candour from such persons in proceedings relating to a number of high-profile incidents (including in particular inquiries relating to the Hillsborough tragedy, Horizon IT systems and the Post Office and Infected Blood).
	This has resulted in calls for a general duty of candour to be placed upon public authorities, servants and officials (sometimes referred to as the "Hillsborough Law").
	The measures in this Act require a review to determine the extent to which additional duties of transparency and candour should be imposed on public servants in relation to major incidents.
Victim information requests for purposes of a criminal investigation etc. Victims of Major Incidents (Appointment of Advocates)