Jack Straw, British Home Secretary hails report as watershed
Stephen Lawrence, report on murder criticises police
The British Home Secretary, Jack Straw, has hailed the report into the murder of black London teenager, Stephen Lawrence, as a watershed, not just for the police, but for everyone in Britain.
The report, published this afternoon, makes over seventy recommendations, all of which have been accepted by the government. The report says that the police investigation into the murder was marred by incompetence by senior police officers and by institutional racism. Mr. Straw told the House of Commons that the document should act as a catalyst for permanent and irrevocable change across the whole of society.
However, he stood by the embattled Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Paul Condon, who has faced calls to resign over the botched handling of the investigation by his force. Mr. Straw said that Sir Paul would use the remaining ten months of his term as head of the Metropolitan Police Force to drive forward anti-racist policies.
Outlining a wide-ranging series of proposed reforms, the Home Secretary said the controversial proposal to end the double jeopardy rule, which prevents a suspect being prosecuted for the same crime twice, would be considered by the Law Commission. Although five men have at various times been arrested for the 1993 murder, no-one has been convicted of the killing and three have been acquitted.
Mr. Straw also announced that he was extending the Race Relations Act, which bans racial discrimination, to cover not only the police, but all public services, including the NHS and Immigration Service.
Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death in a South London Street by a gang of white racist youths. Despite the failure of the police to charge and secure the convictions of any one of the suspects, a lengthy campaign by Stephen's parents led to the judicial inquiry chaired by retired judge Sir William McPherson.
Sir William defines institutional racism as discrimination through unwitting behaviour and stereotyping. Today Home Secretary, Jack Straw, told MPs that such institutional racism existed in police forces across Britain as well as in government departments and other public bodies.
