Centre for People’s Justice launches Candour and Communities exhibition alongside debate on new Hillsborough Law

Centre for People’s Justice launches Candour and Communities exhibition alongside debate on new Hillsborough Law

(IN BRIEF) The Centre for People’s Justice has launched a new touring exhibition, Candour and Communities, which explores a century of major disasters and scandals marked by institutional cover-ups and highlights the significance of the proposed Hillsborough Law, formally the Public Office (Accountability) Bill. The exhibition opened alongside a public talk at Belfast’s Linen Hall Library featuring Lee Castleton OBE and Professor Helen Stalford, examining the Bill’s potential to impose a new duty of candour on public officials and prevent future abuses of power. Co-created with affected communities, the exhibition presents fifteen case studies of injustice, invites public participation in shaping the law as it passes through Parliament, and will tour venues across the UK between January and April 2026, with digital access also available.

(PRESS RELEASE) LIVERPOOL, 3-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — A major new touring exhibition created by the Centre for People’s Justice is set to bring public attention to a landmark piece of proposed legislation aimed at preventing secrecy, deception, and misconduct by those in public office. Titled Candour and Communities, the exhibition examines a series of historic disasters and scandals from across the past century, each linked by patterns of institutional denial, misinformation, and systematic cover-ups by public authorities throughout the UK.

To coincide with the launch of the exhibition, The Linen Hall Library in Belfast will host a public discussion on the progress of the Hillsborough Law as it makes its way through Parliament. Formally known as the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, the proposed legislation would establish a statutory ‘duty of candour’ for all public officials across the UK and introduce criminal penalties for those who deliberately withhold or distort the truth.

The event on Wednesday 4 February will feature a keynote address by Lee Castleton OBE, a former sub-postmaster and a victim of the Post Office Horizon scandal. Castleton is a founding member of the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance (JFSA) and has spent two decades campaigning for accountability and redress alongside hundreds of other affected individuals. His story was recently portrayed by actor Will Mellor in the award-winning ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

Professor Helen Stalford, principal convenor of the Centre for People’s Justice, will also present an overview of the Hillsborough Law, outlining its intended scope, legal implications, and potential impact on public accountability and transparency.

The Belfast event marks the official launch of the Candour and Communities exhibition, which has been curated by the University of Liverpool-based Centre for People’s Justice in close collaboration with affected communities. The exhibition presents fifteen case studies of disasters, scandals, and injustices from the past 100 years, demonstrating how institutional secrecy not only contributed to these tragedies but often intensified the harm experienced by victims and their families.

By bringing these stories together, the exhibition highlights common themes of systemic failure and considers how the proposed Public Office (Accountability) Bill might have altered outcomes in these cases had it been in force at the time.

Designed as an interactive and participatory experience, the exhibition invites members of the public to reflect on the issues raised and to contribute their perspectives as the Hillsborough Law continues its passage through Parliament. Often described as a “people’s law,” the Bill has been shaped by decades of campaigning by bereaved families and survivors of public wrongdoing. The Centre for People’s Justice is actively facilitating public engagement in the legislative process, and visitors to the exhibition will have opportunities to share their views and influence the debate.

Following its launch in Belfast, Candour and Communities will tour multiple venues across the UK between January and April 2026. Confirmed locations include Wrexham, Sheffield, Rhosllannerchrugog, Merthyr Tydfil, and Belfast, with additional venues to be announced in due course.

Click here to book tickets for Lee Castleton’s talk on February 4th at Linen Hall Library.

Candour and Communities will tour around the UK between January and April 2026:

Mon 9th – Fri 13th February 2026, 9am-2pm
Wrexham Miners Project, Wrexham

Mon 16th – Wed 18th February 2026, 8:30am-5:30pm
Wave Centre, Sheffield University

Thurs 19th – Tue 24th February 2026
Stiwt Theatre, Rhosllannerchrugog, Wrexham

Mon 2nd – Fri 6th March, 8am-6pm (except Tuesday 3rd, 8am-4pm)
Orbit Business Centre, Merthyr Tydfil

Mon 30th – Tue 31st March, 9am-5pm
St Comgall’s, Falls Road, Belfast

Further venues and dates to follow.

You can also view the exhibition content online here:  Candour & Communities – Centre for People’s Justice

Media Contact:

Joanne Carr
Deputy Director of Communications and Public Affairs
T: +44 (0)7825 434900
E: jocarr@liverpool.ac.uk

SOURCE: University of Liverpool