Research reportedly found that black people are six times more likely than to be sent to prison than whites.
Source: Research by Jeremy Coid (Royal London School of Medicine), reported in The Observer, 29.12.02
Links: Observer report
Date: 2002-Dec
Researchers examined how far the experience of defendants in housing possession cases is affected by their ethnicity. In particular it explored the perceptions, experiences and understanding of the court functions and processes amongst black and minority ethnic defendants, and more widely within their communities.
Source: Sarah Blandy, Caroline Hunter, Diane Lister and Judy Nixon, Housing Possession Cases in the County Court: Perceptions and experiences of black and minority ethnic defendants, Research Paper 11/02, Lord Chancellor s Department (020 7210 8500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2002-Dec
The government began consultation on race crime and sectarian crime legislation in Northern Ireland.
Source: Race Crime and Sectarian Crime Legislation in Northern Ireland: Consultation paper, Northern Ireland Office (028 9052 0700)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2002-Nov
A study found that minority ethnic people are more likely than others to have bad experiences of the criminal justice system, and that they are over-represented in all stages of the criminal justice system and under-represented as employees of criminal justice services and agencies. The Home Office responded by announcing the creation of a new unit, charged with devising a programme of action to meet its statutory responsibilities on race discrimination; and proposed a new code governing stop-and-search procedures.
Source: Race and the Criminal Justice System, Home Office (020 7273 2084) | Draft Police and Criminal Evidence Act Code A: Code of practice for the exercise by police officers of statutory powers of stop and search, Home Office
Links: Report (pdf) | Tables (Excel file) | HO press release | CRE press release
Date: 2002-Nov
The Bar Council called for the system of appointing senior barristers to be reformed, to make it fairer to women and ethnic minorities.
Source: Response to the LCD Consultation Paper 'In the Public Interest?', Bar Council (020 7242 0082)
Links: Response (Word file) | Press release
Date: 2002-Nov
Staff believe that separate specialist provision is essential for most minority ethnic offenders on probation, a study found: but it said that it is difficult to draw firm conclusions about the effectiveness of relevant programmes, on the basis of the evidence currently available.
Source: Beverly Powis and Rachel Walmsley, Programmes for Black and Asian Offenders on Probation: Lessons for developing practice, Research Study 250, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Study (pdf)
Date: 2002-Oct
The government announced that police officers will be required to issue a certificate to every person they stop in the street (not just those they stop and search), to help counter unfair treatment of black and minority ethnic people.
Source: Action Plan: Home Office Response to the Report of the Policing Bureaucracy Taskforce, Home Office (0870 000 1585) | Policing Bureaucracy Taskforce Change Proposals ('O'Dowd Report'), Home Office
Links: Action Plan | Response to Task Force Report | Task Force Report | Press release
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/2, Digest 122, paragraph 6.1
Date: 2002-Sep
The Commission for Racial Equality reportedly ended its inquiry into institutional racism at the Crown Prosecution Service, saying it was satisfied with the progress being made by the CPS in addressing the problem.
Source: The Independent, 17.9.02
Links: Article
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/1, Digest 121, paragraph 8.4
Date: 2002-Sep
The number of prosecution cases involving a racist incident rose by 28.5 per cent in the period from 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001. The conviction rate also rose, from 78.5 per cent to 83 per cent.
Source: Press release 8 July 2002, Crown Prosecution Service (020 7796 8000)
Links: CPS press release
Date: 2002-Jul
A study examined the working of the 1998 law on racially aggravated offences.
Source: Elizabeth Burney and Gerry Rose, Racist Offences - How is the Law Working?: The Implementation of the Legislation on Racially Aggravated Offences in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Research Study 244, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2002-Jul
A research report examined what can be done to prevent potentially violent racists from committing their first offence.
Source: Omar Khan, Perpetrators of Racist Violence and Harassment, Runnymede Trust, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Runnymede Trust homepage
Date: 2002-Jul
Researchers examined the first statistics on two new offences of racially aggravated crime in Scots law.
Source: I. Clark and S. Moody, Racist Crime and Victimisation in Scotland, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2002-May
An independent report found that crown prosecutors wrongly reduce charges in more than one in four cases involving racial incidents.
Source: Thematic Review of Casework Having a Minority Ethnic Dimension, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (020 7210 1197)
Links: Summary (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/1, Digest 121 (paragraph 8.4)
Date: 2002-May