ethnic groups. The government pledged that they would raise the amount from 2,500 to 8,000 by 1999, but sadly, according to a review of the second anniversary of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, only 155 new minority police were recruited. Although 261 were recruited the following year a er the inquiry report, police forces failed to recruit a single Asian or black person to their respec ve teams. A survey carried out soon a er the inquiry showed that only 3% of the public felt that the police were s ll inherently racist. Since 1991 according to the Ins tute of Race Rela ons, at least 96 people have been killed where racial hatred and ignorance has been seen as a possible mo ve. At least 15 of these cases remain unsolved. One shocking revela on that has recently emerged is that the Met had tried to smear the Lawrence family by making accusa ons against Stephen’s family and friends. In 1996 three young men were charged in a private prosecu on brought by the Lawrence family in a misguided a empt to receive some jus ce. Unfortunately there was not enough evidence to proceed with the case and so the judge had to acquit them. Even though there was not enough evidence, the three men, along with two further men, were iden fied as prime suspects by the Macpherson Inquiry. At that me, if someone was charged with a crime and found not guilty, they could not be recharged at a later date, even if there was new evidence concerning the case. A prosecu on would have been barred under the old common law principle known as autrefois acquit, more commonly referred to as the rule against double jeopardy. Macpherson recommended that the “double jeopardy” rule should be looked at and possibly rescinded, and so the law - which had been in place for around 800 years - was changed in the Criminal Jus ce Act 2003, on the advice of the government’s law reform advisors. The result was that you could be tried twice for the same crime if new evidence became apparent. That legisla on says the court of appeal must order a re-trial 16
Doreen’s campaigning has and will continue to change, the United Kingdom for the better. if there is new and compelling evidence and it is in the interests of jus ce for an order to be made. The new law was brought into force in 2005 and used successfully the following year in a case where an acqui ed murderer had subsequently confessed.
The aboli on of the "double jeopardy rule" eventually led to the convic on of Gary Dobson and David Norris for Stephen's murder, at the Old Bailey in January 2012. It had taken almost 20 years but both were sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 17 years. The Macpherson report made 70 recommenda ons – 67 of which had led to specific changes in prac ce of the law within two years of its publica on. They included the introduc on of detailed targets for the recruitment, reten on and promo on of black and Asian officers. The crea on of the Independent Police Complaints Commission had the power to appoint its own inves gators. During the early years of the campaign, Doreen founded The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, a charity organisa on to promote a posi ve community legacy in her son's name with the Trust giving mentoring and bursaries to young people to help further their educa on. Based in Dep ord since 1998, the Trust gives guidance and direc on, helping youths to follow their dreams. Doreen’s campaigning has and will con nue, to change, the United Kingdom for the be er. On August 2013, in recogni on of her unwavering work whilst campaigning for jus ce and law changes, she was elevated to be a Life Peer and will be in the House of Lords as a Labour Peer and will be inducted into the House of Lords in October 2013 and known as Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon OBE, of Clarendon in the Commonwealth Realm of Jamaica. For twenty years Baroness Lawrence pursued her quest with support from a lot of the Bri sh public, both black and non-black. Unbelievable as it may seem, when it was announced that she was to be a peer Baroness Lawrence received some nega ve comments from the black community. This mother's need was simply to see jus ce for her child. Not everyone will understand the unfailing love between a mother and her child but most people would want a society where race should not be reason to be disadvantaged. By Roderick Steele