LEGAL ISSUES

The Impact of Stephen Lawrence Inquiry

The Impact of Stephen Lawrence Inquiry

Introduction

The controversy surrounding the flawed and biased investigation by London police related to the murder of Stephen Lawrence has damaged the repute of London Police Force. The entity has been labeled “institutionally racist” and making “fundamental errors”. The inquiry undertaken by Sir William Macpherson is considered as one of the most important research for the police service in Wales and England. The research focuses on issues related to minority and ethnic groups trusting and relying on police. The inquiry reported attributes such as institutional racism, professional competence and failed leadership, as a reason behind basic flaws in the investigation of the murder.

Purpose

The purpose of the inquiry has been divided into two parts. Part 1 of the inquiry investigates the murder and the circumstances, the response of police and the underlying criminal investigation process. The second purpose of the study (investigated in part 2) is to highlight the broader social issues related to ethnic discrimination in the police service and the policies of London police (Foster et.al 2005, pp.1).

Origin

A report by Lord Scarman, in 1981, highlighted the social unrest during 1980s due to the poor relations between the ethnic minority groups and the local police. Minority groups are more open to criminal victimization; yet, people belonging to minority groups avoid contacting police due to perceptions of discrimination. The execution of Stephen Lawrence and the subsequent investigation of the incident re-focused the attention to such problems (Foster et.al 2005, pp.2).

A campaign was started by the Lawrence family, when they perceived the circumstances of the murder were unusual, as well as, the absence of persecution of culprits. This led to perceptions that there was an element of discrimination in the MPS (Metropolitan police Service). As a result, a Macpherson Inquiry was established in 1997. The objective of the inquiry was to “identify the lessons to be learned for the investigation and prosecution of racially motivated crimes”.

Discussion

The Inquiry

The inquiry team realized that narrow interpretation of terms of reference would be counterproductive, because, all the evidence which was collected so far pointed tom the lack of trust that exists between the minority groups and the police.

There were many evidences showing the sharp difference between the negative perceptions of ethnic groups and the positive initiatives of police. All these findings clearly suggested the history of discrimination by the police authorities towards minority groups. Therefore, ethnic discrimination became the central point of the inquiry. The investigation concluded the existence of basic flaws, which resulted from failure of leadership by senior officers, institutional racism and lack of professional incompetence (Foster et.al 2005, pp.5).

It was obvious that there is a need of change, to curb the atmosphere of mistrust. The initial step was to sit along with the family and take them in confidence; however, the problem was broad and not linked to a single family or a single case of murder. There was a need to thoroughly analyze all practices and processes which ...