Law and Rights
It has taken 31 years for detailed information relating to the death of Blair Peach (on 24th April 1979) to be placed in the public domain. The Metropolitan Police website contains a statement and there are links to more detailed documents. See also The Independent 28th April.
Blair Peach was an "anti-racism" campaigner who opposed a National Front March through Southall. The Home Secretary [Mr (later Lord) Merlyn Rees] did not act to prevent the march even though there was massive objection to it. Even at the time, the policing of this event raised many allegations of police officers using excessive force. It appears that 14 witnesses claimed to have a seen a Police Officer strike Blair Peach and there was no other evidence to suggest how he came by his injury from which he died. Nevertheless, politicians and the media generally took the stance that the Police acted properly.
It would appear that investigations are now over and that it is highly unlikely that prosecutions will be brought. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner says it is a "matter of deep regret" and that it "reflects the way Policing was rather than is". It would be a massive understatement to say that many people will be wondering whether some things have really altered all that much - see, for example, The Guardian 28th April. Nevertheless, the publication of the reports ought to be welcomed as a small step toward the achievement of that elusive and indefinable but necessary concept of "Justice".
See also INQUEST and DKRenton.
Also London Evening Standard 28th April - Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.
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On the evening of 4th August 2011, at Ferry Lane (Tottenham, London), the Police intercepted and stopped a taxi (or minicab) carrying Mr Mark Duggan. Mr Duggan got out of the vehicle. Two shots were fired at Mr Duggan by one of two Police...
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Law and Rights
Blair Peach: "A matter of deep regret"
Blair Peach was an "anti-racism" campaigner who opposed a National Front March through Southall. The Home Secretary [Mr (later Lord) Merlyn Rees] did not act to prevent the march even though there was massive objection to it. Even at the time, the policing of this event raised many allegations of police officers using excessive force. It appears that 14 witnesses claimed to have a seen a Police Officer strike Blair Peach and there was no other evidence to suggest how he came by his injury from which he died. Nevertheless, politicians and the media generally took the stance that the Police acted properly.
It would appear that investigations are now over and that it is highly unlikely that prosecutions will be brought. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner says it is a "matter of deep regret" and that it "reflects the way Policing was rather than is". It would be a massive understatement to say that many people will be wondering whether some things have really altered all that much - see, for example, The Guardian 28th April. Nevertheless, the publication of the reports ought to be welcomed as a small step toward the achievement of that elusive and indefinable but necessary concept of "Justice".
See also INQUEST and DKRenton.
Also London Evening Standard 28th April - Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.
- Mark Duggan Case ~ No Judicial Review Of College Of Policing Guidelines
On the evening of 4th August 2011, at Ferry Lane (Tottenham, London), the Police intercepted and stopped a taxi (or minicab) carrying Mr Mark Duggan. Mr Duggan got out of the vehicle. Two shots were fired at Mr Duggan by one of two Police...
- The Ian Tomlinson Inquest
It has been interesting to follow the inquest into the death, on 1st April 2009, of Mr Ian Tomlinson. The Inquest has (very commendably) set up a website which offers a great deal of information including transcripts of the hearings. The hearings...
- Climate Change Protesters - No.3 - I Was Just Wondering ...
The former Police Officer (Mark Kennedy) who infiltrated climate change activists has sold his story to the Mail on Sunday. Such stories are almost always self-serving but it is an interesting account - see Mail Sunday 16th January 2010. A...
- Why Should The Police Be Accountable --- Even To The Law?
Why should the Police be accountable, even to the law? Here is a suggestion from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police that the rules should change so that is made much harder to take legal action against the Police. Given the...
- The Ian Tomlinson Case - Further Controversy
In July, it was announced that no criminal charges were to be brought against the Police Officer (P.C. Harwood) who pushed Mr Ian Tomlinson - see here. There has still to be an inquest into Mr Tomlinson's death and this is not likely to happen...