Recommendation 3

Introducing criminal sanctions for breach of a duty of candour may increase the prospect of the duty being taken seriously, offering greater external mechanisms to pursue public institutions that fail to comply. However, including criminal offences on the statute book is not alone sufficient to ensure compliance. Effective enforcement in practice, together with wider efforts to support culture change within the public sector, are also needed if the transparency and openness sought by the Hillsborough Law is to be established.