UK - Police to stop and search based on race
Proposed changes would allow stop and search based on race.
The proposed changes to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act would allow race to be a basis for stop and search without suspicion under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 said a spokesperson from Liberty (The National Council for Civil Liberties)
Liberty also stated that the proposal flies in the face of recommendations in Sir William Macpherson’s Inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence, an 18 year old black student who was stabbed to death whilst waiting to catch a bus on 22nd April 1993.
Liberty also claim the proposed changes would amount to a breach the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits race discrimination by public bodies.
Isabella Sankey, Director of Policy for Liberty said: ‘Stopping and searching individuals without suspicion is divisive enough without telling police they can directly discriminate on the grounds of race. Significant progress has been made since the Lawrence Inquiry but the Home Office’s planned changes to PACE will set the clock back and jeopardise race relations in the UK.’
POLICE TOLD TO DISCRIMINATE IN STOP AND SEARCH
The report comes at a time when Racist UK policies are blamed for the deaths of 77 asylum seekers and migrants. The Guardian report more than a third (28) of the deaths reported by the IRR are people suspected or known to have taken their own lives after their asylum claims had been turned down. Seven are said to have died after being denied health care for "preventable medical problems", seven are said to have died in prison custody, and 15 are said to have died during desperate and "highly risky" attempts to enter the country.
The institute of Race Relations (IRR) published an article in a press release entitled "Driven to Desperate Measures" The press release and report is available on IRR's Website
The proposed changes to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act would allow race to be a basis for stop and search without suspicion under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 said a spokesperson from Liberty (The National Council for Civil Liberties)
Liberty also stated that the proposal flies in the face of recommendations in Sir William Macpherson’s Inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence, an 18 year old black student who was stabbed to death whilst waiting to catch a bus on 22nd April 1993.
Liberty also claim the proposed changes would amount to a breach the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits race discrimination by public bodies.
Isabella Sankey, Director of Policy for Liberty said: ‘Stopping and searching individuals without suspicion is divisive enough without telling police they can directly discriminate on the grounds of race. Significant progress has been made since the Lawrence Inquiry but the Home Office’s planned changes to PACE will set the clock back and jeopardise race relations in the UK.’
POLICE TOLD TO DISCRIMINATE IN STOP AND SEARCH
The report comes at a time when Racist UK policies are blamed for the deaths of 77 asylum seekers and migrants. The Guardian report more than a third (28) of the deaths reported by the IRR are people suspected or known to have taken their own lives after their asylum claims had been turned down. Seven are said to have died after being denied health care for "preventable medical problems", seven are said to have died in prison custody, and 15 are said to have died during desperate and "highly risky" attempts to enter the country.
The institute of Race Relations (IRR) published an article in a press release entitled "Driven to Desperate Measures" The press release and report is available on IRR's Website
posted by Greg Shaw at
Sunday, October 17, 2010
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