What effect did the inquiry into his death have?
The inquiry into the failure of the original police investigation to find and convict Stephen’s killers, headed by Sir William MacPherson and which reported in 1999, became one of the most important moments in the modern history of criminal justice in Britain. Famously concluding that the force was “institutionally racist”, it made 70 recommendations and had an enormous impact on the race relations debate – from criminal justice through to all public authorities. Scotland Yard has made numerous changes in an attempt to stamp out racism, and all public bodies are now obliged to promote equality and tackle discrimination. The government has also tackled the double jeopardy rule which states that, in English law, anyone cleared of a crime in court cannot be retried for the same crime at a later date. Now they can be, if significant new evidence emerges. What hasn’t changed? A lot of campaigners say the system is still failing minority communities. The aftermath of Stephen’s murder marked
