The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry 10 Years On
On 22 April 1993, while waiting for a bus with his friend Duwayne Brooks in Eltham, South London, Stephen Lawrence was killed in an unprovoked racist knife attack by a group of five white youths.
No one has ever been convicted of his murder.
In July 1997 following years of persistent campaigning on the part of Neville and Doreen Lawrence, Stephen's parents, a Judicial Inquiry was announced by then Home Secretary Jack Straw. The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, led by Sir William Macpherson of Cluny with the support of three Advisers - Mr Tom Cook; the Rt Reverend John Sentamu and Dr Richard Stone - published its report almost 2 years later on 24 February 1999 making a total of 70 recommendations aimed at the government, the Criminal Justice System, the police service and education.
In 2009, Runnymede carried out a review of progress in meeting these recommendations: The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry 10 Years On - A Critical Review of the Literature.
The review examines key academic, policy and voluntary sector evidence and debates that have shaped the direction and implementation of the recommendations, since its publication in 1999. It argues that the police service still faces a number of challenges in seeking to work fairly with Black communities and makes five key recommendations:
- Effective practice on recording racist incidents should be shared across the criminal justice system.
- Police force[s] must improve the monitoring of racially motivated crime.
- Public scrutiny should continue beyond the publication of an Inquiry report.
- Police forces must address continued problems in the progression and retention of Black officers and staff.
- Government should review the effectiveness of stop and search procedures as a crime reduction strategy.
To download the full Stephen Lawrence 10 Years On report of the evidence that has informed these recommendations, please click here.
To download the summary of The Stephen Lawrence 10 Years On report, please click here.
The Home Office has issued an official Written Ministerial Statement in response to The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry 10 Years On. Please click here to download the response.
