Who? Nicola Brook, legal director and solicitor, Broudie Jackson Canter, Liverpool.
Why is she in the news? The Independent Office for Police Conduct and Operation Resolve last week published the findings of their investigation into the role of the police in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster and its aftermath. Brook represents several bereaved families.
Thoughts on the case: ‘The report is a devastating indictment of the honesty and integrity of police officers within two different forces. The fact that there will be no sanctions against any of the 13 officers who would have a case to answer for gross misconduct or misconduct is another injustice for the families and the survivors. It also revealed that police statements were altered to remove references to closing the tunnel at previous matches. By doing so, not only did it have the potential to mislead the inquiry, but it also had the potential to place future football fans’ lives at risk. That is unforgivable and is another clarion call for Hillsborough Law.’
In a statement on South Yorkshire Police’s website, chief constable Lauren Poultney said: ‘On behalf of South Yorkshire Police, I fully accept the IOPC report which highlights a litany of failures and am so deeply sorry for the pain and heartache caused.’
West Midlands Police said: ‘We note the report released by the IOPC. The deaths of 97 people following the Hillsborough stadium disaster was a tragedy and our thoughts remain with the families and friends of the victims who must live every day with the loss of their loved ones.’
Dealing with the media: ‘The negative role the media played in this case has been well documented. However, as with all my work alongside families tirelessly working to reveal the truth of the injustices they have faced, without the media, it would be impossible to expose institutional wrongdoings.’
Why become a lawyer? ‘My dad was the foreperson at a printers, so I heard endless stories about the injustices suffered by the workers at the hands of those in power. That gave me a strong determination to right wrongs and to support the underdog.’
Career high: ‘Receiving the jury verdict in the Hillsborough inquests in 2016 after two long years of evidence. We were extremely anxious to secure the unlawful killing verdict. If the jury had returned accidental death verdicts, it would have been devastating to the families and put them back in the same position.’
No comments yet