Since forming, as a proactive collection of Hillsborough families, survivors and supporters in Feb 1998, the Campaign has struggled to bring Hillsborough and the continued lack of justice back into the public domain on many occassions.
Many people are aware that all clubs now observe a minutes silence on 15th April following the group's letter campaign. In this section you can read on this and other successes the group has acheived, as well as ongoing activites.
Click here to find out the latest news.
The Hillsborough Justice Campaign
PO Box 1089
178 Walton Breck Road
Liverpool
L69 4WR
Tel / fax : 0151 2605262
email: hjcshop@tiscali.co.uk
Anne Williams Court Case
Anne Williams is no longer Chair of the HJC having resigned from the group on 28 February 2006 after informing the group that she would be continuing her son's legal case independently from the HJC. The HJC acknowledges Anne's prerogative to take whatever course of action she deems most appropriate in her pursuit of justice. From its inception the HJC has supported the fight for justice for the 96; in particular the group was able to offer Anne the means to pursue her legal fight for Kevin. Whilst the group sadly had to accept Anne's decision to sever links with the group, nevertheless the HJC's support for the fight for justice for Kevin Williams remains intact and as strong as ever. The group wishes Anne success in her European challenge.
What follows summarises Anne Williams' court case as of 2004 and historically contextualises a key campaign at that time for the HJC.
Anne Williams has fought relentlessly to have the true facts of her son's death officially recorded and publicly recognised. She was one of six families who went to the High Court in an attempt to have a fresh inquest. She presented new evidence to the Stuart - Smith Scrutiny. She has written a book detailing her fight. She continues to fight on.
Currently Anne and her legal advisers are working on a new memorial to present to the Attorney - General requesting that he order a fresh inquest into Kevin's death. It has to be said that in spite of new evidence the chances of this application succeeding are slim. Successive Attorney generals have consistently ignored all evidence and invoked the old chestnut of it 'not being in the public interest'. However, Anne will not stop there should the application fail.
Solicitors are prepared to challenge the application within the UK - relying on recent European Court cases that say the inquest system was unsatisfactory. Crucial in this respect is a European Ruling in respect of dead IRA volunteers who were killed( see : CASE OF MCKERR V. THE UNITED KINGDOM. Application no.28883/95. EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS). Relevant to Anne is not the nature of how or why they were killed but the nature of the inquest that followed.
In a landmark judgement by the European Court of Human Rights (May 4th 2001), the court found that the investigations into the deaths of Gervase McKerr, Pearse Jordan and others did not conform with international human rights standards. Neither the police investigations nor the inquests met those standards. This landmark ruling clearly affects many other cases, not only in Northern Ireland but right across Europe. The implications for the case of Kevin Williams is obvious and exciting. Lawyers will therefore seek a judicial review of the Attorney Generals decision if it fails. It will be necessary to put in a fresh application to the Attorney General as the Human Rights Act does not apply retrospectively.
Possible outcomes from this course of action are:
a) New Inquest - this is unlikely.
b) Declaration that the law as it stands is unreasonable.
The HJC will always support the fight for justice for Kevin Williams.
