High Court quashes accidental death inquest verdicts for Hillsborough victims

Dec 19, 2012 11:42:00 AM

Lord Chief Justice dismissed the orginal verdicts after viewing the application, which included new medical evidence and the alteration of police evidence and stadium safety

The High Court has dismissed the original inquest verdicts returned on the deaths of the 96 football fans in the Hillsborough disaster.

Attorney General Dominic Grieve made the request on Wednesday, three months after the Hillsborough Independent Panel confirmed that 41 of those who lost their lives during the tragedy could have been saved.

Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge quashed the original verdicts after viewing the application, which included new medical evidence and the altercation of police evidence and stadium safety - which includes the original coroner's report that every fatality had occurred before 15.30GMT.

Earlier on Wednesday, Home Secretary Theresa May announced a new inquiry into the Hillsborough disaster.

The new investigation will focus on the 96 supporters who died during and in direct relation to the 1989 tragedy, and will be helmed by the recently retired Durham Chief Constable Jon Stoddart with cooperation from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

The inquest will not be allowed to include current or past officers who have had any connection to the Hillsborough disaster, or any who have worked for Merseyside, West Midlands or South Yorkshire forces.

In addition, police will not be able to investigate other police so any findings pertaining to the misconduct of officers during the inquest will be passed on to the IPCC.

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