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SCOTLAND: Criminal justice system "institutionally racist"

01 November 2001

Two reports into the murder of Surgit Singh Chhoker who was stabbed to death outside his home in November 1998 were published at the end of October. In presenting the findings of the reports the Lord Advocate admitted that Scotland's criminal justice system including the police and the Crown Office was institutionally racist and had failed in its duty to the victim's family and a "vulnerable minority community". The failure to secure a murder conviction against any of the three accused of Mr Chhoker's murder led to the case being compared with the Stephen Lawrence case in England.
One of the reports found the prosecution had made fundamental mistakes in preparing the case and in liaising with the family but denied that racist behaviour had influenced these mistakes. The other report, authored by Dr Raj Jandoo, found evidence of institutional racism defined as "occurring wherever the service provided by an organisation fails to meet equally the needs of all the people whom it serves having regard to their racial, ethnic or cultural background".
In responding to the reports, the Lord Advocate announced a review of the High Court system and internal Crown Office procedures, the formation of a dedicated High Court unit in Glasgow, an independent Crown Office inspectorate and an inspection into "race" and the police to be carried out in 2002. Speaking for the Chhokar Family Justice campaign, Aamer Anwar said that "if there is to be a legacy of Surjit Singh Chhokar and all those who have lost their lives to racism and bigotry, we demand that no other family should ever again have to start a campaign to fight for justice and accountability".

Sunday Mail 28.10.01; The Guardian 1.11.01; The Independent 25.10.01.