CLICK HERE TO ENDORSE THIS STATEMENT
We the undersigned write to join the condemnation of the brutal murder of George Floyd and to support the calls for justice and accountability by his family, Black Lives Matter and by the wider Black community and others in the US and in this country. We also condemn the violence used by state forces against protestors and journalists.
We are civil rights and civil liberties lawyers and organisations and campaigners based in the UK. In our work, we see time and again what INQUEST described in its statement on George Floyd: ‘a pattern of cases synonymous with state violence, structural racism, impunity and injustice’. This is no surprise given the history of slavery and colonialism, old and new, which is the broader context of the systemic and institutional racism faced by Black people in this country and in the US. We also see the role of popular protest movements in bringing about social, political and legal progress.
We have worked with the families of many people who have died as a result of state violence. INQUEST has documented how a disproportionate number of Black people, in particular Black men, have died as a result of use of force. The list is many. Just some of these deaths include:
- Children in detention – for example, 15 year old Gareth Myatt restrained to death by G4S staff in a child prison;
- Black women who have died after police operations: Cynthia Jarrett, Cherry Groce, and Joy Gardner bound and gagged after a police/immigration raid.
- Black men restrained to death by police officers - for example, Christopher Alder, Roger Sylvester, Mikey Powell, Sean Rigg, Olaseni Lewis, Kingsley Burrell; Rocky Bennett restrained by medical staff in a mental health setting (showing the double discrimination faced by Black men suffering mental ill-health); and others who have died since, Leon Briggs, Sheku Bayoh, Kevin Clarke.
- Black women in mental health crisis (so facing triple discrimination) – for example Sarah Reed, a young woman remanded for psychiatric reports who died because of neglect and ill treatment by prison and healthcare at Holloway prison; and deaths of two Black women, Annabella Landsberg and Natasha Chin, as a result of neglect and failings of prison and healthcare staff.
- Black men shot dead by the police – for example, Azelle Rodney, Mark Duggan; and others since, Jermaine Baker and Trevor Smith.
- Immigration detainees - for example, Jimmy Mubenga restrained to death by G4S staff trying to deport him; Prince Fosu who died from neglect having been left naked in a Harmondsworth immigration removal centre cell for six days without bedding or a mattress.
We note that Black men have suffered catastrophic injuries and almost died following police restraint – for example, Julian Cole requires 24 hour care after he suffered a broken neck and is paralysed and has brain damage.
We have also seen time and again a shocking lack of accountability of individual state agents responsible for state abuses. Many inquests into state-inflicted deaths, including some of those referred to above, have returned conclusions highly critical of the ‘unlawful’ and ‘excessive’ or ‘disproportionate’ force used, or found serious neglect. However disciplinary action and/or criminal charges are rare and criminal convictions rarer still. Since 1990 there has been no successful prosecution for murder or manslaughter. Such disciplinary processes as there have been rarely result in effective sanctions against the officers involved. In addition, the various iterations of the police watchdog over the years have consistently failed to address race adequately or at all in their investigations.
As Aji Lewis, the mother of Olaseni Lewis who died after police use of restraint in a mental health setting while medical staff stood by, said: “It might be more of a deterrent if police were genuinely concerned about facing charges. They pretend there isn’t institutional racism in the police, but we all know it’s there. Police need to admit mistakes. Officers need to be prosecuted.”
It has been family campaigns alongside work by INQUEST and campaigning lawyers that has put this issue on the political and policy agenda. It prompted the government to set up the Angiolini review of deaths and serious incidents into police custody. Published in 2017, it was an indictment of the failing systems of investigation, learning and accountability and also reinforced concerns about how a disproportionate number of people from Black and minority ethnic communities, in particular Black men, have died after the use of force. It made over 100 recommendations extending to the police service, health service and justice systems. Concerns raised included the inequality of arms and access to justice for bereaved people; the failure to investigate deaths as a potential crime and the related issue of police officers being permitted to confer with each other after deaths; and the serious delays in the legal processes.
The experiences of the families and communities we work with stand in stark contrast to the statement of the National Police Chiefs Council, extending solidarity and sympathy to the family of George Floyd, and calling for accountability in that case, whilst police forces continue to resist accountability, withhold evidence and dispute liability for deaths at their hands in the UK. In many cases, far from seeking to hold those responsible to account, undercover police officers have gathered evidence on bereaved families and infiltrated campaigns for justice.
Time and again, after state-inflicted deaths and a plethora of recommendations from investigations, inquests and reviews, promises are made by the authorities responsible, that lesson learning, accountability and action will follow. For the families, every new death gives the lie to this promise and causes new pain. We think of them as we follow the news about George Floyd.
We also see consistent evidence that deaths are the extreme end of a continuum of pervasive racial bias in the criminal justice system from over-policing, stop and search and criminalisation.
- In 2018/2019 Black people were more than 9 times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people;
- 26% of all use of force by police officers between 2018/2019 was on Black and minority ethnic people, (16% of which Black, 6% Asian);
- An FOI request in 2017 revealed that in a three-month trial on the use of spit hoods (a tool of repression reminiscent of slavery), 23% of male victims were Black and 15% Asian (total 38%); 72% of female victims were Black (8 out of 11);
- In relation to Covid-related arrests, Black and minority ethnic people were nearly 50% more likely than white people to be arrested in London using coronavirus laws. Black people make up 12% of the population of London but received 26% of the 973 fines handed out by police and accounted for 31% of arrests;
- Recently we have seen investigations being opened into the disproportionate use of Tasers against Black people.
Behind these statistics are the human stories: we cannot underestimate the impact of state brutality and harassment, based on the colour of your skin, on the individual psyche.
Black and minority ethnic people are also disproportionately incarcerated in prisons and young offender institutions. The Lammy Review on race in the criminal justice system raised the alarm on this issue, yet since publication of this review numbers have increased, with Black and minority ethnic people making up 27% of the prison population and 50% of children and young people in child prisons/young offender institutions. In the year ending March 2019, 27.8% of people in youth custody were Black.
We note that the UK has one of the largest immigration detention systems in Europe and the impact of unjustified, often unlawful indefinite detention on psychological and physical health has been well documented and evidenced by a pattern of deaths. We also note the impact of the hostile environment that saw so many Black people of the Windrush generation wrongly detained, deported and denied legal rights.
We note too, the socio-economic disadvantage and structural racism and inequalities that disproportionately affect Black and minority ethnic people, with the associated negative impact upon education (the school to prison pipeline), employment and - brought into particularly sharp relief by the Covid-19 pandemic - health outcomes. In that connection, we note the prompt action by the state towards criminalising anti-racist protests on the grounds of Covid risk, in stark contrast to the state inaction, for example in relation to personal protective equipment (PPE), in the face of mounting evidence that Black and minority ethnic people were disproportionately dying from the virus.
But we also remember that there is reason to be hopeful in the new generations coming on to the streets to fight for justice. We stand with them and pay tribute to them. We remember the anti-racist resistance across the years in Brixton, Bradford, Chapeltown, Southall, St Pauls, Tottenham, Toxteth, and other predominantly Black and minority ethnic areas of Britain’s inner cities. We remember the resulting introduction of the Race Relations Act, the Scarman report. We remember the Macpherson report finding that the Metropolitan police was institutionally racist and the strengthening of discrimination law, brought about by the fight for justice for Stephen Lawrence. It is only through such struggles, led by those at the sharp end of injustice in our society, that the same civil and human rights taken for granted by the privileged can be won for all.
Finally, we acknowledge the importance of this moment. Deaths in state custody and state violence is a global human rights issue, disproportionally impacting on Black and Indigenous people. With the rise of racist and reactionary forces world-wide, now more than ever we must stand together to defend the right to freedom from state racism and state brutality, and the right to state accountability when those rights are violated. Crucially, we must also defend the right to protest and to press freedom, without which those other rights risk being rendered illusory. We note that it is the same repressive apparatus that killed George Floyd that is now being used against protestors and journalists and that it is the UK government who are exporting to the US, repressive state equipment, including tear gas, rubber bullets and riot shields.
This is a social movement that must see radical structural change. We owe it to those men, women and children who have had their lives cut short or have been harmed as a result of state violence.
The struggle to defend the right to protest and to a free press goes hand in hand with the struggle for justice for George Floyd.
Justice for George Floyd means justice for us all.
INQUEST
Police Action Lawyers Group (PALG)
INQUEST Lawyers Group (Steering group)
United Families and Friends Campaign (UFFC)
Add your name or organisation using this online form.
Please note this webpage is updated manually and there may be a delay before signatories appear. Last updated 22 June 2020.
Organisation
Nic Mainwood Centre for Women’s Justice
Kevin Blowe Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol) Coordinator
Nina Tailor Gathering Place Films Director
Harriet Wistrich Centre for women’s justice Director
Silkie Carlo Big Brother Watch Director
Lubia Begum-Rob Prisoners' Advice Service Director
Harriet Thomas Safer Housing Limited Solicitor
Fiona Bawdon Impact - Law for Social Justice Director
Kate Ellis, Centre for Women’s Justice
Garden Court North Chambers
Jen Persson, Defend digital me
Donal O'Driscoll, Undercover Research Group
Luke Cowles, GN Law
We Belong
Nexus Chambers Nexus Chambers Barristers
Nexus, the Chambers of Michael Mansfield QC Nexus, the Chambers of Michael Mansfield QC
Celia Clarke Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) Director
Yvette Williams Justice 4 Grenfell Campaign Campaign Coordinator
Richard Garside Centre for Crime and Justice Studies Director
Charlotte Weinberg Safe Ground Director
Katrina Ffrench StopWatch CEO
Niamh Eastwood Release Executive Director
Yasmine Ahmed Rights and Security International Director
Suresh Grover The Monitoring Group Director
Lubia Begum-Rob The Prisoners' Advice Service Director
Imani Robinson Release & TalkingDrugs Communications Strategist & Editor
Louise King Children's Rights Alliance for England Director
INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS
Vicki Cardwell Spark Inside CEO
Imtiaz Amin Zahid Mubarek Trust Co-director
Amy van der Kleyn Rights and Security International Admin Assistant
Asad Rehman War on Want Executive Director
Yvonne MacNamara The Traveller Movement CEO
Carol Storer Legal Action Group Interim Director
Estelle du Boulay Rights of Women Director
Emily Bolton APPEAL Director
Deeba Syed Rights of Women Senior Legal Officer
Raheel Mohammed Maslaha Director
Lucy Nevitt The Gemini Project Co-founder
Kate Paradine Women in Prison Chief Executive
Elisha Augustin Women in Prison Head of National Service Delivery
Enver Solomon Just for Kids Law CEO
Martha Spurrier Director at Liberty
Fiona Gilbertson Founder of Recovering Justice
Naomi Burke-Shyne Executive at Harm Reduction International
Anne Fox Chief Executive Officer at Clinks
Law firms
Julian Paul Coningham, Coninghams Solicitors
ANDREW SPERLING, SL5 LEGAL, DIRECTOR
Leanne Devine Broudie Jackson Canter, Director of Inquests and Inquiries
Christina Juman Deighton Pierce Glynn Partner
Kevin Donoghue Law firm Donoghue Solicitors solicitor
Jo Eggleton Deighton Pierce Glynn Partner
Chez Cotton Matthew Gold & Co Solicitors Consultant Senior Solicitor
Najma Rasul Matthew Gold & Co Solicitors Consultant Senior Solicitor
Thomas Hedderick Broudie Jackson Canter
Wonta Ansah-Twum Amethyst Chambers Barrister
Alastair Lyon Birnberg Peirce Solicitor
Lyn Al-Anbari Solicitor
Ceri Lloyd-Hughes Saunders Law
Polly Sweeney Rook Irwin Sweeney LLP Partner
Darragh Mackin, Phoenix Law
Sarah Collier and Simpson Millar, Simpson Millar
Susie Labinjoh Hodge Jones & Allen Partner
Tony Murphy Bhatt Murphy Partner
Kevin Donoghue Donoghue Solicitors Solicitor Director
Naima Sakande APPEAL Women's Justice Advocate
Grassroots
Neal Tank Socialists of Colour, Co-Founder
Luke Billingham Hackney Quest (youth charity)
Hilda Palmer, Families Against Corporate Killers
Phillip Minns, Best Foot Music
Anna Stratford, Recovery Partners
Marienna Pope-Weidemann, Justice for Gaia
London Campaign against Police and State Violence
Prisoner Solidarity Network
Lisa Cole The Justice for Marc Cole and Adrian McDonald End Taser Torture Campaign
Legal professionals
Michael Etienne, Barrister
Professor Leslie Thomas QC, Barrister
Dan Webster Leigh Day Paralegal
Jude Bunting Doughty Street Chambers Barrister
Adam Straw Doughty Street Chambers Barrister
Lana Adamou Bindmans Solicitor
Charlotte Halsted Broudie Jackson Canter Solicitors Paralegal
Mira Hammad Pupil barrister Garden Court North
Kirsten Sjøvoll Matrix Chambers Barrister
Joseph Morgan Bindmans LLP Solicitor
Jim Robottom Barrister
Lucie Boase Hodge Jones & Allen Trainee solicitor
Hugh Southey QC barrister
Sarah Kellas Birnberg Peirce Ltd Solicitor
Alice Hardy Solicitor
Stephen Cragg QC Doughty Street Chambers Barrister
Aston Luff, Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitor
KELLY DARLINGTON FARLEYS SOLICITORS LLP ASSOCIATE PARTNER
Peter Wilcock QC
Ross Beaton Barrister
Sebastian Del Monte Solicitor
Tony Murphy Bhatt Murphy Partner
Jules Carey Bindmans LLP Lawyer
Natalie Csengeri Barrister
Joanna Bennett Associate
Jocelyn Cockburn Solicitor
James Mehigan Garden Court Chambers Barrister
Laura Jane Miller Red Lion Chambers Barrister
Hana Cogingsford Paralegal
Lynton Orrett Nexus Chambers Barrister
Una Morris, Barrister
Rose Arnall, Solicitor
Russell Fraser, Garden Court chambers, Barrister
Rebecca Filletti, Barrister
Ayesha Christie Barrister, Matrix Chambers
Raj Chada Hodge Jones Allen Solicitor
Sophie Naftalin Bhatt Murphy Solicitor
Vijay Jagadesham Garden Court North Barrister
Chez Cotton, Solicitor
Najma Rasul, Solicitor
Matt Stanbury , Garden Court North Barrister
Amritpal Bachu 1MCB Chambers Barrister
Gus Silverman Solicitor
Stephen Simblet QC Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Irene Nembhard Solicitor
Matt Foot Birnberg Peirce Solicitors Solicitor
Olamide Ogunrinade Barrister
Rizvan Mussa Solicitor
Pippa Woodrow Doughty Street Chambers Barrister
Anna Thwaites Bindmans and ILGSG Partner
Susan Wright Garden Court Chambers Barrister
Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC Barrister
Elliot White Deighton Pierce Glynn Solicitor
Harriet Bland Trainee Solicitor, GT Stewart
Ceri Lloyd-Hughes Solicitor
Eva Roszykiewicz, solicitor at GT Stewart
Rajiv Menon QC, Barrister
Paul Bowen QC, Barrister
Antonia Benfield, Barrister
Adeela Khan, Solicitor
Omran Belhadi Barrister
Stephen Clark, Barrister
Ciara Bartlam, Barrister
Aarif Abraham, Barrister
Nick Brown, Barrister at Doughty Street Chambers
Bhaskar Banerjee, Solicitor
Steve Broach, Barrister
Heledd Wyn, Solictor
Christina Ashibogu, trainee Solicitor
Tasaddat Hussain, Barrister
Claire Macmaster, Solicitor
Hazel Metcalfe, Solicitor
Taher Gulamhussein, Solicitor
Ben McCormack, Barrister, Garden Court North
Cyrilia Knight, Solicitor
Demi Drury, Solicitor
Yara Ali-Adib, Lawyer
Sarah Ricca, Solicitor
Tara Mulcair, Solicitor
Jocelyn Cockburn, Solicitor
Zareena Mustafa, Solicitor
Patrick Ormerod Bindmans, LLP Solicitor
Nancy Kelehar, Civil Paralegal
Joanna Bennett, Associate
Sarah McSherry, Solicitor
Ryan Bestford, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit Solicitor
Patricia Hitchcock QC, Cloisters
Sophie Wells, Assistant Solicitor at Leigh Day
Rebecca Dooley, Deighton Pierce Glynn
Abigail Wheatcroft, Investigator at APPEAL
Emily Comer, Solicitor
Brenda Campbell QC
Chris Topping, Solicitor
Pete Weatherby QC
Ilaria Minucci PA/paralegal
Phillippa White, Pupil barrister
Di Middleton QC
Anna Mazzola, Consultant solicitor at Centre for Women’s Justice
Mira Hammad, Pupil Barrister, GCN
Ruth Bundey, Lawyer
Individuals
Ksenia Bakina
Laura McDonald, Law student
Shamik Dutta
Umar Ditta
Helen Shaw
Sam Swann
Lilian Lemberger-Cooper
Abi Dymond, Senior Lecturer in Criminology
Riya Sharma
Hannah Procter
Deborah Ross
Dr Kate Leader University of York Law lecturer
Jane Figueiredo
Susie Labinjoh
Georgia brown, Writer
Myrtle Bernard
Georgia Pearce
Dan Clayton Education consultant
Rebecca Verey
Marcia Rigg, Sean Rigg Justice and Change Campaign
Ajibola Lewis
Professor Joe Sim University Lecturer
Duncan McGarry Former Police Officer
Luke Evans
Thomas Hedderick
Andrew David Rushent Veterinary Nurse
Rosa Kucharska
Maise Riley
Amen Tesfay
Peter Venables Teacher
Alishia Zafar Dental Student
Steve Tombs Prof of Criminology
Faiza Mahmood
Sara Siobhan Ryan
Aisha Ali
Zoe Street
Scott Sabourin
Tom Kitchen
Samuel Eastoe
Sharad Rana
Andrea Gilbert
Ammara Yasin
Sigrun Dabielsson
Elizabeth Berry
Daniel York Loh Actor/Writer
Brian Precious Newham TUC
Griff Ferris
Róisín Spencer
Andrew Tomkinson
Ged Devaney-Khodja
Elizabeth Ramsden
Jack Bardsley
Claire, Peace Service Assistant
Beth Oliver
Azelle Rodney, Campaign Azelle Rodney Campaign Manager
Morgan Russell
RoseMary Warrington
Lawrence Dunn
Rowan Constantinou-Stygal
Josephine Ogunrinade’s
James Ritchie
Sandy Dillon
Alex Rhys Wakefield
Tasha Peeters
Elsie Bradley, Middle Restaurant Supervisor
Samet Ruggiero-Cakir
Kiya Mazur
Charles Wheatley
Eleanor McGough
Raggi Kotak Barrister
Dr Kate Herrity, Lecturer/research fellow
Bev Di Luci
Virginie Assal
Maya Johnson
Daniel Carey
Hau-Yu Tam
Vanessa d’Esterre
Holly Davis
Alice hodgson
Becca McNulty
Ian Allott
Sumaiyah Anwar
Abdul azees abdul lateef, Engineer
Olivia Goddard
Terry Harper
Emily Brownhill
Sherene Meir
E O'Dame
David Naftalin
Alice See
Sarah Woolley, Freelance journalist
Shareefa Energy Poet
Julie Baah
Rachel Agorom lloyd
Calum Murray
Joan Chaplin
Elizabeth
Penny Letts
Daniel Allen
Susanne Levin
Jonathan Cooper
Zara Bain
Aditi Gupta
Steve Britt
Haydn Lord
Laura Janes
Amy Rawe
Luca Montag
Jackie du Bled
Jennifer Hone
Jenny Evans
Dr Kirsteen Shields
Olusola Lawal, Support worker
Eliah Ward
Peter Walker
Sophie Talbot
Abigail Bulley
Varoushnan Srilangarajah
Hilke Tiedemann
Frances Lipman
Samanthi Sooriyakumar
Finn
Eveline Lubbers
Catherine OMahoney
Rosalind Grainger
Selina Thompson
Tallulah Barr
Harriet Drohan
Jennifer Nadel
Kate H
Henriette Berg
Jennifer Whilby
Katie Murphy
Shauneen Lambe
Mary Kelly
Kim Morgan
Agnes Harding
Mandy Baker
Christine Roszykiewicz
Dr Kim Bouwer, Law Academic
Sarah Cooper
Catherine Lynott Wilson
Geraldine Isherwood
Charlotte Brooks
Pam Belonwu
Lauren freckleton
Tej Adeleye
Ben Curtis
Sophie Wisdom
Thea Killeya
Hamish McCallum
George Joshi, Medical Student
Amber Barrow
Aoife Rush
Diane S Newton Board Member, INQUEST
Elizabeth Spencer Researcher
Josh Kitto
Jessie Waldman University of Cape Town LLM candidate
Joe Bowly
Anastasia Shelley, College Lecturer
Megan Finnis
Rebekah Delsol, StopWatch Trustee
Baillie Aaron
Sara Angelie Ellsen
Lauren Mason
Terry Day
Asad Rehman
Adam Peggs
Stuart Wragg
Noori Piperdy
Áine McNamara, Student
David Darby
Alex Kane, Parliamentary Officer at APPEAL
Jo Smith, University of Brighton Lecturer in Law
Annette Ashley
Lisa White
Annie Hedge
Dr Leonie Howe, Criminologist
Misha Nayak-Oliver
Kate O'Leary
Helena Drakakis, Journalist
Dr Craig Morris, Sociologist
Rahual Moodgal
Alison Howe
justine lacquiere
Sioned Morgan
Poonam Flammarion
Pauline Bailey
Alisma Williams
Malinda Mukuma
Jennifer Williams
Rhian Hobbs
Antonia Godber, Teacher
Diana mukuma
Jake Rolston
Isabel fay
Debbie Wiles
Becca Phillips
Clare Matthews
Elizabeth Berry
Julie Barney
Karam Radwan
Civil Rights And Civil Liberties Lawyers And Campaigners Stand With Family Of George Floyd And Black Lives Matter
CLICK HERE TO ENDORSE THIS STATEMENT
We the undersigned write to join the condemnation of the brutal murder of George Floyd and to support the calls for justice and accountability by his family, Black Lives Matter and by the wider Black community and others in the US and in this country. We also condemn the violence used by state forces against protestors and journalists.
We are civil rights and civil liberties lawyers and organisations and campaigners based in the UK. In our work, we see time and again what INQUEST described in its statement on George Floyd: ‘a pattern of cases synonymous with state violence, structural racism, impunity and injustice’. This is no surprise given the history of slavery and colonialism, old and new, which is the broader context of the systemic and institutional racism faced by Black people in this country and in the US. We also see the role of popular protest movements in bringing about social, political and legal progress.
We have worked with the families of many people who have died as a result of state violence. INQUEST has documented how a disproportionate number of Black people, in particular Black men, have died as a result of use of force. The list is many. Just some of these deaths include:
We note that Black men have suffered catastrophic injuries and almost died following police restraint – for example, Julian Cole requires 24 hour care after he suffered a broken neck and is paralysed and has brain damage.
We have also seen time and again a shocking lack of accountability of individual state agents responsible for state abuses. Many inquests into state-inflicted deaths, including some of those referred to above, have returned conclusions highly critical of the ‘unlawful’ and ‘excessive’ or ‘disproportionate’ force used, or found serious neglect. However disciplinary action and/or criminal charges are rare and criminal convictions rarer still. Since 1990 there has been no successful prosecution for murder or manslaughter. Such disciplinary processes as there have been rarely result in effective sanctions against the officers involved. In addition, the various iterations of the police watchdog over the years have consistently failed to address race adequately or at all in their investigations.
As Aji Lewis, the mother of Olaseni Lewis who died after police use of restraint in a mental health setting while medical staff stood by, said: “It might be more of a deterrent if police were genuinely concerned about facing charges. They pretend there isn’t institutional racism in the police, but we all know it’s there. Police need to admit mistakes. Officers need to be prosecuted.”
It has been family campaigns alongside work by INQUEST and campaigning lawyers that has put this issue on the political and policy agenda. It prompted the government to set up the Angiolini review of deaths and serious incidents into police custody. Published in 2017, it was an indictment of the failing systems of investigation, learning and accountability and also reinforced concerns about how a disproportionate number of people from Black and minority ethnic communities, in particular Black men, have died after the use of force. It made over 100 recommendations extending to the police service, health service and justice systems. Concerns raised included the inequality of arms and access to justice for bereaved people; the failure to investigate deaths as a potential crime and the related issue of police officers being permitted to confer with each other after deaths; and the serious delays in the legal processes.
The experiences of the families and communities we work with stand in stark contrast to the statement of the National Police Chiefs Council, extending solidarity and sympathy to the family of George Floyd, and calling for accountability in that case, whilst police forces continue to resist accountability, withhold evidence and dispute liability for deaths at their hands in the UK. In many cases, far from seeking to hold those responsible to account, undercover police officers have gathered evidence on bereaved families and infiltrated campaigns for justice.
Time and again, after state-inflicted deaths and a plethora of recommendations from investigations, inquests and reviews, promises are made by the authorities responsible, that lesson learning, accountability and action will follow. For the families, every new death gives the lie to this promise and causes new pain. We think of them as we follow the news about George Floyd.
We also see consistent evidence that deaths are the extreme end of a continuum of pervasive racial bias in the criminal justice system from over-policing, stop and search and criminalisation.
Behind these statistics are the human stories: we cannot underestimate the impact of state brutality and harassment, based on the colour of your skin, on the individual psyche.
Black and minority ethnic people are also disproportionately incarcerated in prisons and young offender institutions. The Lammy Review on race in the criminal justice system raised the alarm on this issue, yet since publication of this review numbers have increased, with Black and minority ethnic people making up 27% of the prison population and 50% of children and young people in child prisons/young offender institutions. In the year ending March 2019, 27.8% of people in youth custody were Black.
We note that the UK has one of the largest immigration detention systems in Europe and the impact of unjustified, often unlawful indefinite detention on psychological and physical health has been well documented and evidenced by a pattern of deaths. We also note the impact of the hostile environment that saw so many Black people of the Windrush generation wrongly detained, deported and denied legal rights.
We note too, the socio-economic disadvantage and structural racism and inequalities that disproportionately affect Black and minority ethnic people, with the associated negative impact upon education (the school to prison pipeline), employment and - brought into particularly sharp relief by the Covid-19 pandemic - health outcomes. In that connection, we note the prompt action by the state towards criminalising anti-racist protests on the grounds of Covid risk, in stark contrast to the state inaction, for example in relation to personal protective equipment (PPE), in the face of mounting evidence that Black and minority ethnic people were disproportionately dying from the virus.
But we also remember that there is reason to be hopeful in the new generations coming on to the streets to fight for justice. We stand with them and pay tribute to them. We remember the anti-racist resistance across the years in Brixton, Bradford, Chapeltown, Southall, St Pauls, Tottenham, Toxteth, and other predominantly Black and minority ethnic areas of Britain’s inner cities. We remember the resulting introduction of the Race Relations Act, the Scarman report. We remember the Macpherson report finding that the Metropolitan police was institutionally racist and the strengthening of discrimination law, brought about by the fight for justice for Stephen Lawrence. It is only through such struggles, led by those at the sharp end of injustice in our society, that the same civil and human rights taken for granted by the privileged can be won for all.
Finally, we acknowledge the importance of this moment. Deaths in state custody and state violence is a global human rights issue, disproportionally impacting on Black and Indigenous people. With the rise of racist and reactionary forces world-wide, now more than ever we must stand together to defend the right to freedom from state racism and state brutality, and the right to state accountability when those rights are violated. Crucially, we must also defend the right to protest and to press freedom, without which those other rights risk being rendered illusory. We note that it is the same repressive apparatus that killed George Floyd that is now being used against protestors and journalists and that it is the UK government who are exporting to the US, repressive state equipment, including tear gas, rubber bullets and riot shields.
This is a social movement that must see radical structural change. We owe it to those men, women and children who have had their lives cut short or have been harmed as a result of state violence.
The struggle to defend the right to protest and to a free press goes hand in hand with the struggle for justice for George Floyd.
Justice for George Floyd means justice for us all.
INQUEST
Police Action Lawyers Group (PALG)
INQUEST Lawyers Group (Steering group)
United Families and Friends Campaign (UFFC)
Add your name or organisation using this online form.
Please note this webpage is updated manually and there may be a delay before signatories appear. Last updated 22 June 2020.
Organisation
Nic Mainwood Centre for Women’s Justice
Kevin Blowe Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol) Coordinator
Nina Tailor Gathering Place Films Director
Harriet Wistrich Centre for women’s justice Director
Silkie Carlo Big Brother Watch Director
Lubia Begum-Rob Prisoners' Advice Service Director
Harriet Thomas Safer Housing Limited Solicitor
Fiona Bawdon Impact - Law for Social Justice Director
Kate Ellis, Centre for Women’s Justice
Garden Court North Chambers
Jen Persson, Defend digital me
Donal O'Driscoll, Undercover Research Group
Luke Cowles, GN Law
We Belong
Nexus Chambers Nexus Chambers Barristers
Nexus, the Chambers of Michael Mansfield QC Nexus, the Chambers of Michael Mansfield QC
Celia Clarke Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) Director
Yvette Williams Justice 4 Grenfell Campaign Campaign Coordinator
Richard Garside Centre for Crime and Justice Studies Director
Charlotte Weinberg Safe Ground Director
Katrina Ffrench StopWatch CEO
Niamh Eastwood Release Executive Director
Yasmine Ahmed Rights and Security International Director
Suresh Grover The Monitoring Group Director
Lubia Begum-Rob The Prisoners' Advice Service Director
Imani Robinson Release & TalkingDrugs Communications Strategist & Editor
Louise King Children's Rights Alliance for England Director
INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS
Vicki Cardwell Spark Inside CEO
Imtiaz Amin Zahid Mubarek Trust Co-director
Amy van der Kleyn Rights and Security International Admin Assistant
Asad Rehman War on Want Executive Director
Yvonne MacNamara The Traveller Movement CEO
Carol Storer Legal Action Group Interim Director
Estelle du Boulay Rights of Women Director
Emily Bolton APPEAL Director
Deeba Syed Rights of Women Senior Legal Officer
Raheel Mohammed Maslaha Director
Lucy Nevitt The Gemini Project Co-founder
Kate Paradine Women in Prison Chief Executive
Elisha Augustin Women in Prison Head of National Service Delivery
Enver Solomon Just for Kids Law CEO
Martha Spurrier Director at Liberty
Fiona Gilbertson Founder of Recovering Justice
Naomi Burke-Shyne Executive at Harm Reduction International
Anne Fox Chief Executive Officer at Clinks
Law firms
Julian Paul Coningham, Coninghams Solicitors
ANDREW SPERLING, SL5 LEGAL, DIRECTOR
Leanne Devine Broudie Jackson Canter, Director of Inquests and Inquiries
Christina Juman Deighton Pierce Glynn Partner
Kevin Donoghue Law firm Donoghue Solicitors solicitor
Jo Eggleton Deighton Pierce Glynn Partner
Chez Cotton Matthew Gold & Co Solicitors Consultant Senior Solicitor
Najma Rasul Matthew Gold & Co Solicitors Consultant Senior Solicitor
Thomas Hedderick Broudie Jackson Canter
Wonta Ansah-Twum Amethyst Chambers Barrister
Alastair Lyon Birnberg Peirce Solicitor
Lyn Al-Anbari Solicitor
Ceri Lloyd-Hughes Saunders Law
Polly Sweeney Rook Irwin Sweeney LLP Partner
Darragh Mackin, Phoenix Law
Sarah Collier and Simpson Millar, Simpson Millar
Susie Labinjoh Hodge Jones & Allen Partner
Tony Murphy Bhatt Murphy Partner
Kevin Donoghue Donoghue Solicitors Solicitor Director
Naima Sakande APPEAL Women's Justice Advocate
Grassroots
Neal Tank Socialists of Colour, Co-Founder
Luke Billingham Hackney Quest (youth charity)
Hilda Palmer, Families Against Corporate Killers
Phillip Minns, Best Foot Music
Anna Stratford, Recovery Partners
Marienna Pope-Weidemann, Justice for Gaia
London Campaign against Police and State Violence
Prisoner Solidarity Network
Lisa Cole The Justice for Marc Cole and Adrian McDonald End Taser Torture Campaign
Legal professionals
Michael Etienne, Barrister
Professor Leslie Thomas QC, Barrister
Dan Webster Leigh Day Paralegal
Jude Bunting Doughty Street Chambers Barrister
Adam Straw Doughty Street Chambers Barrister
Lana Adamou Bindmans Solicitor
Charlotte Halsted Broudie Jackson Canter Solicitors Paralegal
Mira Hammad Pupil barrister Garden Court North
Kirsten Sjøvoll Matrix Chambers Barrister
Joseph Morgan Bindmans LLP Solicitor
Jim Robottom Barrister
Lucie Boase Hodge Jones & Allen Trainee solicitor
Hugh Southey QC barrister
Sarah Kellas Birnberg Peirce Ltd Solicitor
Alice Hardy Solicitor
Stephen Cragg QC Doughty Street Chambers Barrister
Aston Luff, Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitor
KELLY DARLINGTON FARLEYS SOLICITORS LLP ASSOCIATE PARTNER
Peter Wilcock QC
Ross Beaton Barrister
Sebastian Del Monte Solicitor
Tony Murphy Bhatt Murphy Partner
Jules Carey Bindmans LLP Lawyer
Natalie Csengeri Barrister
Joanna Bennett Associate
Jocelyn Cockburn Solicitor
James Mehigan Garden Court Chambers Barrister
Laura Jane Miller Red Lion Chambers Barrister
Hana Cogingsford Paralegal
Lynton Orrett Nexus Chambers Barrister
Una Morris, Barrister
Rose Arnall, Solicitor
Russell Fraser, Garden Court chambers, Barrister
Rebecca Filletti, Barrister
Ayesha Christie Barrister, Matrix Chambers
Raj Chada Hodge Jones Allen Solicitor
Sophie Naftalin Bhatt Murphy Solicitor
Vijay Jagadesham Garden Court North Barrister
Chez Cotton, Solicitor
Najma Rasul, Solicitor
Matt Stanbury , Garden Court North Barrister
Amritpal Bachu 1MCB Chambers Barrister
Gus Silverman Solicitor
Stephen Simblet QC Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Irene Nembhard Solicitor
Matt Foot Birnberg Peirce Solicitors Solicitor
Olamide Ogunrinade Barrister
Rizvan Mussa Solicitor
Pippa Woodrow Doughty Street Chambers Barrister
Anna Thwaites Bindmans and ILGSG Partner
Susan Wright Garden Court Chambers Barrister
Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC Barrister
Elliot White Deighton Pierce Glynn Solicitor
Harriet Bland Trainee Solicitor, GT Stewart
Ceri Lloyd-Hughes Solicitor
Eva Roszykiewicz, solicitor at GT Stewart
Rajiv Menon QC, Barrister
Paul Bowen QC, Barrister
Antonia Benfield, Barrister
Adeela Khan, Solicitor
Omran Belhadi Barrister
Stephen Clark, Barrister
Ciara Bartlam, Barrister
Aarif Abraham, Barrister
Nick Brown, Barrister at Doughty Street Chambers
Bhaskar Banerjee, Solicitor
Steve Broach, Barrister
Heledd Wyn, Solictor
Christina Ashibogu, trainee Solicitor
Tasaddat Hussain, Barrister
Claire Macmaster, Solicitor
Hazel Metcalfe, Solicitor
Taher Gulamhussein, Solicitor
Ben McCormack, Barrister, Garden Court North
Cyrilia Knight, Solicitor
Demi Drury, Solicitor
Yara Ali-Adib, Lawyer
Sarah Ricca, Solicitor
Tara Mulcair, Solicitor
Jocelyn Cockburn, Solicitor
Zareena Mustafa, Solicitor
Patrick Ormerod Bindmans, LLP Solicitor
Nancy Kelehar, Civil Paralegal
Joanna Bennett, Associate
Sarah McSherry, Solicitor
Ryan Bestford, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit Solicitor
Patricia Hitchcock QC, Cloisters
Sophie Wells, Assistant Solicitor at Leigh Day
Rebecca Dooley, Deighton Pierce Glynn
Abigail Wheatcroft, Investigator at APPEAL
Emily Comer, Solicitor
Brenda Campbell QC
Chris Topping, Solicitor
Pete Weatherby QC
Ilaria Minucci PA/paralegal
Phillippa White, Pupil barrister
Di Middleton QC
Anna Mazzola, Consultant solicitor at Centre for Women’s Justice
Mira Hammad, Pupil Barrister, GCN
Ruth Bundey, Lawyer
Individuals
Ksenia Bakina
Laura McDonald, Law student
Shamik Dutta
Umar Ditta
Helen Shaw
Sam Swann
Lilian Lemberger-Cooper
Abi Dymond, Senior Lecturer in Criminology
Riya Sharma
Hannah Procter
Deborah Ross
Dr Kate Leader University of York Law lecturer
Jane Figueiredo
Susie Labinjoh
Georgia brown, Writer
Myrtle Bernard
Georgia Pearce
Dan Clayton Education consultant
Rebecca Verey
Marcia Rigg, Sean Rigg Justice and Change Campaign
Ajibola Lewis
Professor Joe Sim University Lecturer
Duncan McGarry Former Police Officer
Luke Evans
Thomas Hedderick
Andrew David Rushent Veterinary Nurse
Rosa Kucharska
Maise Riley
Amen Tesfay
Peter Venables Teacher
Alishia Zafar Dental Student
Steve Tombs Prof of Criminology
Faiza Mahmood
Sara Siobhan Ryan
Aisha Ali
Zoe Street
Scott Sabourin
Tom Kitchen
Samuel Eastoe
Sharad Rana
Andrea Gilbert
Ammara Yasin
Sigrun Dabielsson
Elizabeth Berry
Daniel York Loh Actor/Writer
Brian Precious Newham TUC
Griff Ferris
Róisín Spencer
Andrew Tomkinson
Ged Devaney-Khodja
Elizabeth Ramsden
Jack Bardsley
Claire, Peace Service Assistant
Beth Oliver
Azelle Rodney, Campaign Azelle Rodney Campaign Manager
Morgan Russell
RoseMary Warrington
Lawrence Dunn
Rowan Constantinou-Stygal
Josephine Ogunrinade’s
James Ritchie
Sandy Dillon
Alex Rhys Wakefield
Tasha Peeters
Elsie Bradley, Middle Restaurant Supervisor
Samet Ruggiero-Cakir
Kiya Mazur
Charles Wheatley
Eleanor McGough
Raggi Kotak Barrister
Dr Kate Herrity, Lecturer/research fellow
Bev Di Luci
Virginie Assal
Maya Johnson
Daniel Carey
Hau-Yu Tam
Vanessa d’Esterre
Holly Davis
Alice hodgson
Becca McNulty
Ian Allott
Sumaiyah Anwar
Abdul azees abdul lateef, Engineer
Olivia Goddard
Terry Harper
Emily Brownhill
Sherene Meir
E O'Dame
David Naftalin
Alice See
Sarah Woolley, Freelance journalist
Shareefa Energy Poet
Julie Baah
Rachel Agorom lloyd
Calum Murray
Joan Chaplin
Elizabeth
Penny Letts
Daniel Allen
Susanne Levin
Jonathan Cooper
Zara Bain
Aditi Gupta
Steve Britt
Haydn Lord
Laura Janes
Amy Rawe
Luca Montag
Jackie du Bled
Jennifer Hone
Jenny Evans
Dr Kirsteen Shields
Olusola Lawal, Support worker
Eliah Ward
Peter Walker
Sophie Talbot
Abigail Bulley
Varoushnan Srilangarajah
Hilke Tiedemann
Frances Lipman
Samanthi Sooriyakumar
Finn
Eveline Lubbers
Catherine OMahoney
Rosalind Grainger
Selina Thompson
Tallulah Barr
Harriet Drohan
Jennifer Nadel
Kate H
Henriette Berg
Jennifer Whilby
Katie Murphy
Shauneen Lambe
Mary Kelly
Kim Morgan
Agnes Harding
Mandy Baker
Christine Roszykiewicz
Dr Kim Bouwer, Law Academic
Sarah Cooper
Catherine Lynott Wilson
Geraldine Isherwood
Charlotte Brooks
Pam Belonwu
Lauren freckleton
Tej Adeleye
Ben Curtis
Sophie Wisdom
Thea Killeya
Hamish McCallum
George Joshi, Medical Student
Amber Barrow
Aoife Rush
Diane S Newton Board Member, INQUEST
Elizabeth Spencer Researcher
Josh Kitto
Jessie Waldman University of Cape Town LLM candidate
Joe Bowly
Anastasia Shelley, College Lecturer
Megan Finnis
Rebekah Delsol, StopWatch Trustee
Baillie Aaron
Sara Angelie Ellsen
Lauren Mason
Terry Day
Asad Rehman
Adam Peggs
Stuart Wragg
Noori Piperdy
Áine McNamara, Student
David Darby
Alex Kane, Parliamentary Officer at APPEAL
Jo Smith, University of Brighton Lecturer in Law
Annette Ashley
Lisa White
Annie Hedge
Dr Leonie Howe, Criminologist
Misha Nayak-Oliver
Kate O'Leary
Helena Drakakis, Journalist
Dr Craig Morris, Sociologist
Rahual Moodgal
Alison Howe
justine lacquiere
Sioned Morgan
Poonam Flammarion
Pauline Bailey
Alisma Williams
Malinda Mukuma
Jennifer Williams
Rhian Hobbs
Antonia Godber, Teacher
Diana mukuma
Jake Rolston
Isabel fay
Debbie Wiles
Becca Phillips
Clare Matthews
Elizabeth Berry
Julie Barney
Karam Radwan
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