Stephen Lawrence (13 September 1974 – 22 April 1993) was a black British teenager living in London, UK, who was murdered in April 1993 at the age of 18. For the Zimbabwean-born Australian rules footballer for Hawthorn, see Stephen Lawrence (footballer). ... Stephen Lawrence (born April 22, 1969) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn in the Australian Football League. ... Steven Anthony Lawrence (born on July 19, 1990 in Fresno, California) is an American actor. ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A blonde haired, very skilled worker with a 70s look. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Murder, trials and aftermath

Born in Britain in 1974 to Jamaican parents, Neville and Doreen, Stephen Lawrence was a student who hoped to become an architect. At the time of his death, he was a secondary school sixth former with a history of meritous scholastic accomplishments.^{[citation needed]} An architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person who is involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction. ...

He was attacked on 22 April 1993 in Eltham, an area of southeast London, between Woolwich and Bromley. During the attack, one of the assailants yelled a racial slur and the cry of "What? What! Nigger!" was heard as they charged at Lawrence who was suddenly then stabbed in the chest and shoulder. He suffered two deep wounds that cut major arteries, severed a vein and penetrated a lung. Although he tried to escape, he collapsed after running 119 metres and bled to death soon after. is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Eltham, London, England Eltham, New Zealand, Taranaki, New Zealand Eltham, Victoria, Australia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... , Woolwich town hall dates from when this was a borough in its own right. ... Bromley is the principal town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. ... // Nigger is a racial slur used to refer to dark-skinned people, especially those of African ancestry. ...

The Crown Prosecution Service brought a case against two suspects but Crown Prosecutor Denzil Pugh, a member of the Hurlingham Club, abandoned all charges on 29 July 1993 after deciding that there was insufficient evidence. Senior Detective Inspector Ben Bullock and Detective Sergeant John Davidson are also members of the Hurlingham Club. The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. ... The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive sporting club in South-West London, in Fulham, built on the site (or extremely close to the site of) Ranelagh Gardens. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive sporting club in South-West London, in Fulham, built on the site (or extremely close to the site of) Ranelagh Gardens. ...

Stephen's family in April 1996 initiated a private prosecution against those two and three other suspects. Charges against the original two suspects were dropped before the trial and the others were acquitted at trial when the judge disallowed eyewitness testimony of Duwayne Brooks.

In February 1997, the Daily Mail, a right wing tabolid (which is sometimes referred to as the "Daily Heil" for its historical support of Nazism) [1] abandoned its printed front page accusing supporters of Stephen Lawrence of "political correctness gone mad," when Daily Mail Editor in Chief realised Stephen's father, Neville Lawrence had built an extension to his house. The Daily Mail is a British newspaper and the oldest tabloid, first published in 1896. ... The Daily Mail is a British newspaper and the oldest tabloid, first published in 1896. ...

The Daily Mail then labelled all five suspects "murderers," challenging them to sue the newspaper for libel. The headline read "Murderers: The Mail accuses these men of killing. If we are wrong, let them sue us." Underneath this were pictures of Gary Dobson, Neil Acourt, Jamie Acourt, Luke Knight, and David Norris. To date, they have not sued, but have used appearances in the media to protest their innocence. The Attorney General later cleared the Daily Mail of contempt of court. In 1999, all five defendants were prohibited from attending home football games in their community. The Daily Mail is a British newspaper and the oldest tabloid, first published in 1896. ... In English and American law, and systems based on them, libel and slander are two forms of defamation (or defamation of character), which is the tort or delict of making a false statement of fact that injures someones reputation. ...

In 2002, two of those accused in the Lawrence case, David Norris and Neil Acourt, were convicted and jailed for a racist attack on a black police officer.^[1]

The case spurred changes in British law that would allow future cases to be brought back to court, even after an acquittal. In the Criminal Justice Act 2003, introduced by Home Secretary David Blunkett, Parliament abolished a previously strict prohibition against double jeopardy. Retrials are now allowed if there is 'new and compelling evidence'. The Criminal Justice Act 2003 (2003, c. ... The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ... David Blunkett (born 6 June 1947) is a British Labour Party politician and has been Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside since 1987. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons The Right Honourable Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, Baroness Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups (as of May 5, 2005 elections) Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats... For other uses, see Double jeopardy (disambiguation). ...

No one has been convicted of Lawrence's murder. The suspected killers, all but one with further police records, are at large and detailed in The Guardian, a left wing British newspaper.

The British National Party, a right wing political party which restricts memberships to "indigeneous Caucasians" only [2], claimed that he was killed by another black person in a dispute over money, and also claimed that he dealt drugs.

Lawrence remembered

An annual architectural prize, the Stephen Lawrence Prize, has been established by the Royal Institute of British Architects in Stephen Lawrence's memory. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects in the United Kingdom. ...

His mother, Doreen Lawrence, said, "I would like Stephen to be remembered as a young man who had a future. He was well loved, and had he been given the chance to survive maybe he would have been the one to bridge the gap between black and white because he didn't distinguish between black or white. He saw people as people."

In 1999 Nicholas Kent staged a devised docudrama - The Colour of Justice - based on the trial, at the Tricycle Theatre. It was later filmed by the BBC. It has been suggested that Drama Documentary be merged into this article or section. ... The Tricycle Theatre is located on Kilburn High Road in the Kilburn district of north London. ...

Public inquiries into the police investigation

In 1997, Lawrence's surviving family registered a formal complaint with the Police Complaints Authority, which in 1999 exonerated officers who worked the case of allegations of racism. Only one officer, Senior Detective Inspector Ben Bullock, was ordered to face disciplinary charges for neglect of duty. Bullock, who was second in command of the investigation, was later found guilty of failure to properly brief officers and failure to fully investigate an anonymous letter sent to police, but acquitted of 11 other charges. Four other officers who would have been charged as a result of the inquiry retired before it concluded.

Bullock retired the day after his punishment was announced, which amounted to a caution. Neville Lawrence, father of Stephen Lawrence, criticized the punishment saying Bullock was "guilty on all counts" but a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Federation said Bullock was "largely vindicated" in the proceedings.^[2]

That same year, while the PCA inquiry was ongoing, Home Secretary Jack Straw ordered a public inquiry. During the inquiry, Detective Superintendent Brian Weeden said mistakes had been made during the murder investigation. Results of that inquiry became known as the Macpherson Report, or the Stephen Lawrence Report. The Police Complaints Authority, was an independent body in the United Kingdom with the power to investigate public complaints against the Police in England and Wales as well as related matters of public concern. ... The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ... John Whitaker Straw (born August 3, 1946) is a British Labour Party politician. ...

Conducted by Sir William Macpherson, the inquiry found that the Metropolitan Police Service investigation had been incompetent, charging that officers had committed fundamental errors including failing to give first aid when they reached the scene, failing to follow obvious leads during their investigation and failing to arrest suspects. He found that there had been a failure of leadership by senior MPS officers and that recommendations of the 1981 Scarman Report, compiled following race-related riots in Brixton and Toxteth, had been ignored. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is the name currently used by the territorial police force which is responsible for Greater London other than the City of London (the responsibility of the City of London Police). ... First aid is a series of simple, life-saving medical techniques that a non-doctor or layman can be trained to perform. ... ... Brixton is an area of South London, England, part of the London Borough of Lambeth. ... A picture of some derelict terraces in Toxteth. ...

Macpherson found that the police were institutionally racist, and made a total of 70 recommendations for reform in his report dated 24 February 1999. His proposals included abolishing the double jeopardy rule and criminalising racist statements made in private. Macpherson also called for reform in the British Civil Service, local government, the British National Health Service, schools and the judicial system to address issues of institutional racism. Institutional racism (or structural racism or systemic racism) is a theoretical form of racism that occurs in institutions such as public bodies and corporations, including universities. ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Double jeopardy (disambiguation). ... The British civil service is the permanent bureaucracy that supports the Government Ministers responsible to the Sovereign and Parliament in administering the United Kingdom. ... Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a state or province. ... The National Health Service (NHS) is the publicly_funded healthcare system of the United Kingdom. ... Students in Rome, Italy. ... Institutional racism (or structural racism or systemic racism) is a theoretical form of racism that occurs in institutions such as public bodies and corporations, including universities. ...

On 10 March 2006 the Metropolitan Police Service announced that it would pay Duwayne Brooks £100,000 as compensation for the way police handled his complaints about their actions toward him after the murder. March 10 is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Alleged police corruption

On 25 July 2006, the Independent Complaints Commission (IPCC) announced it had asked the Metropolitan Police to look into alleged claims of police corruption that may have helped hide the killers of Stephen Lawrence. A BBC investigation alleged that the murder inquiry's Det Sgt John Davidson was paid by a known drug smuggler Clifford Norris, the father of David Norris, a chief suspect in the investigation.^[3] The former Det Sgt has denied any such corruption. The Metropolitan Police Service announced it was to open up a special incident room following the BBC investigation. is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is the name currently used by the territorial police force which is responsible for Greater London other than the City of London (the responsibility of the City of London Police). ...

The Independent Police Complaints Commission concluded that there was no evidence of any police misconduct of any kind at all. The Independent Police Complaints Commission criticised Doreen and Neville Lawrence for "not taking proper care of their child," and said Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence were far more racist than any Police Officer. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is a UK organisation tasked with overseeing and investigating complaints against UK police forces. ... The Independent Police Complaints Commission is a UK organisation tasked with overseeing and investigating complaints against UK police forces. ...

On 27 July 2006, the Daily Mail repeated its famous "Murderers" front page. is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Daily Mail is a British newspaper and the oldest tabloid, first published in 1896. ...

"The need to re-establish trust between minority ethnic communities and the police is paramount... seeking to achieve trust and confidence through a demonstration of fairness will not in itself be sufficient. It must be accompanied by a vigorous pursuit of openness and accountability." Macpherson Report (1999)

External links

• Macpherson Report
• blink Stephen Lawrence campaign
• Civitas Institutional Racism and The Police — Fact or Fiction?
• Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust
• Ross Parker

BBC links

• 27 May 1998 Policeman 'misunderstood law'
• 28 May 1998 Lawrence probe officer 'met parents a year late'
• 2 June 1998 'I'm not corrupt' says Lawrence detective
• 20 July 1998 Lawrence parents urge police chief to quit
• 2 September 1998 Lawrence five set for 'trial by media'
• 10 February 1999 Lawrence suspects 'face new charges'
• 10 February 1999 ITV to screen Lawrence drama
• 13 February 1999 Lawrence investigation 'seriously flawed'
• 6 May 2004 Stephen Lawrence Interview transcript and video of interview
• 24 July 2006 Lawrence police 'missed chance'

References

1. ^ BBC 6 September 2002 Lawrence pair jailed for race attack
2. ^ BBC 13 July 1999 Lawrence hearing a 'whitewash'
3. ^ BBC 26 July 2006 Lawrence case 'corruption' probe

• Stephen Lawrence case chronology, PBS Masterpiece Theatre
• Bullock cautioned as punishment, The Guardian

Bibliography

• Ellis, Dr.Frank, The Macpherson Report: 'Anti-racist' Hysteria and the Sovietization of the United Kingdom, published by Right Now Press Ltd., London, 2001,(P/B), ISBN 0-9540534-0-0

References to Stephen Lawrence in Literature

• Mundair, Raman, 'An Elegy for Two Boys', from 'Lovers, Liars, Conjurers and Thieves', published by Peepal Tree Press, Leeds, 2003, (P/B), ISBN 1