This short film contains behaviour which could be imitated. Teacher review is recommended prior to use in class.
News Reader (Archive):
An 18-year-old boy has been stabbed to death. Stephen Laurence was killed as he waited for a bus鈥
Man Curly Hair:
The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges at the end of July 1993. There is no relationship that we have with the police. There's no investigation that's ongoing.
Stuart Lawrence:
And following on from that, we as a family brought a private prosecution against the suspects.
John Carnt:
It was always gonna rely on Duwayne Brooks: he was the key witness.
Neville Lawrence:
We were relying on his evidence to convict these guys.
Duwayne Brooks:
At the Old Bailey, I was in the court where everybody in the public gallery could see me. I was extremely frightened.
John Carnt:
Duwayne gave his evidence, but he didn't come across as being, you know, entirely鈥 consistent or reliable.
Narrator (Archive):
The parents of Stephen Lawrence today failed in their attempt to bring a private prosecution against the young men they believed murdered their son.
Imran Khan:
They'd lost their son, the police had done nothing about it, and now their own lawyers had鈥 failed.
Male Protester:
What do we want?
Protestors:
Justice!
Male Protester:
When do we want it?
Protesters:
Now!
Male Protester:
What do we want?
Protesters:
Justice!
Male Protester:
When do we want it?
Protesters:
Now!
Stuart Lawrence:
The suspects, they were let off without ever having to take the stand.
Doreen Lawrence:
You know, the jury didn't hear them. The jury didn't鈥 there was no questioning. They never heard anything.
Michael Mansfield:
I don't know any other case, anyway, where a prosecutor's forced to open the case without referring to any of the evidence that links the defendants to the particular trial.
Michael Mansfield:
I was trying to instill in them a sense of hope, even in these dire circumstances, dark circumstances, that, you know, a phoenix will arise from these ashes.
Imran Khan:
The inquest into the death and the Coroner's Court, Sir Montague Levine, effectively means that the criminal case is over. This is the end.
Paul Dacre:
I remember the last day of the inquest very, very vividly. That day, by an amazing piece of serendipity, we had a meeting with Sir Paul Condon. And the Stephen Lawrence case came up. And I remember him saying that he'd bet his life the five suspects were as guilty as sin. The tragedy was the police couldn't get the evidence necessary, the CPS wouldn't back them in a prosecution, but he was absolutely certain they were guilty. These men were killers. One sensed the palpable frustration of the man. And so we had the lunch; I thought nothing more of it. But that night the nine-o'clock news came on, and it showed the five suspects strutting and spitting contempt. That moment, I picked up a layout pad and I wrote down the word "murderers" in huge type and underlined it. And then wrote a sub-deck underneath it. "The Mail accuses these men of killing. If we are wrong, sue us." There was a kind of deathly silence on the back bench, and some nervous titters. Someone joked, "What about libel?" The libel thing was a risk. Bear in mind, this was now about ten past nine. And if you haven't worked on newspapers, you don't understand the sheer tyranny of the clock. You have to have the last page to the printers by 9:45. Conversation with lawyer 9:10. 20-minute conversation with a deputy in the office, huge tension. We were doing something pretty cataclysmic. But you trust your instincts. You go with what you believe is right. Anyway, the next morning the lawyers were queuing up to denounce the Mail.
Male News Anchor: (Archive):
Trial by media or a last recourse when justice itself has failed? The legalistic and journalistic arguments continue.
Man on Radio (Archive):
The action of The Daily Mail has, without doubt, interfered with the course of justice.
Reporter (Archive):
Friends and family of the five young men accused of the murder say angrily that they have been tried, convicted, and condemned by the media.
Relative of Accused (Archive):
What happened to them boys, anyone in their place would hold privilege.
Female Relative of Accused (Archive):
Our sons aren't racist.
Man on Radio (Archive):
You say your sons aren't racist, but we've all seen the video.
Female Relative of Accused (Archive):
They was hitting back with words only after 18 months of persecution.
Man on Radio (Archive):
And, Mrs. Acourt, on that tape, we saw one of your sons wielding a knife.
Mrs. Acourt (Archive):
Mm. Well, I don't think it did suggest violence at all.
Man on Radio (Archive):
But wielding a knife like that?
Mrs. Acourt (Archive):
I mean, no. I was-- yeah, wielding a knife, it was only play-acting. You could see that on that camera.
Unidentified Female:
It was a very daring move by the Mail. It put absolute rocket boosters under the story.
Imran Khan:
It's a national newspaper, read by millions, read by politicians. It arrived into the houses that have never understood or experienced racism. I can't deny that there was a mischievous grin on my face when that was said. But also a sense of unease.
Michael Mansfield:
Strictly speaking as lawyer, I found that difficult. The day in which we live in a society when the Daily Mail adjudicates on guilt or innocence, I think, is a sad day.
Jack Straw:
The famous headline in the Daily Mail helped to change the politics of this quite dramatically. Because by virtue of the fact that it was the Mail and not a leftish paper, it made for space for me to then push for an inquiry.
News Anchor:
The Macpherson Report examines in detail the murder of Stephen Lawrence and its aftermath. It's a chronicle of extraordinary incompetence and ineptitude by the Metropolitan Police. More than that, it's a shaming account of what Sir William Macpherson refers to as "institutionalised racism in the police" and, by inference, more generally in our society.
Mat Bickley:
The acknowledgement that that report gave made me, at least, feel hopeful for our future and the greater good. It was a moment of idealism that I allowed myself to have.
Queen Elizabeth II:
My lords and members of the House of Commons, the report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence raised profound issues for our multiracial society. A bill will be introduced which will make it unlawful for public bodies to racially discriminate.
Doreen Lawrence:
Even though that was a good thing, my son's killers are still walking the street. That didn't do anything to put them behind bars.
Stuart Lawrence:
In this country you couldn't be tried twice for the same crime. Because of the verdict of the private prosecution, the suspects, safe in the knowledge that they couldn't be charged again, went in front of the cameras. They went to the media.
Interviewer (Archive):
Did your friends use knives?
David Norris (Archive):
No, no.
Interviewer (Archive):
You're absolutely sure?
David Norris (Archive):
I'm not sure, no. But in my opinion, they didn't carry knives.
Interviewer (Archive):
Both Jamie and Neil have told us that they did carry knives. Two anonymous notes were found. And it says that you and your brother, quote, "always carry knives and threaten people." When did you first hear that there had been a murder?
Jamie Acourt (Archive):
I think it might have been the next day. On the news, I think.
Interviewer (Archive):
You said that your brother was in the house when this individual came and informed you that there had been an attack.
Neil Acourt (Archive):
As far as I can remember, yes.
Interviewer (Archive):
Yeah. He says the first he heard of the attack was the following day on television.
Mark Daly:
It was a extremely brazen move. And they came across poorly.
Gary Dobson (Archive)To us it was鈥 it was a normal weekday night. It was鈥
Interviewer (Archive):
Your stories don't tally.
Newman Checked Tie (Archive):
The most far-reaching change to criminal law for nearly 800 years could soon be brought in. It's the scrapping of the double jeopardy rule that means a suspect can't be tried for the same crime twice.
News Reporter Archive (Archive):
It was Sir William Macpherson's report into the Stephen Lawrence inquiry which first recommended scrapping the double jeopardy rule.
Stuart Lawrence:
The Macpherson Report recommended the double jeopardy law to be overturned. That law was changed. And with the compelling evidence which came through the advancements in the DNA technology, we was able, then, to convict two people of Stephen's murder.
Clive Driscoll:
Stephen's clothing was made up in such a way that it lost a lot of fibres. So, the opportunity for it going on someone else's clothing is very high. And in three weeks, the scientist phoned me up and said, "Do you know what? I found all these red fibres. Thousands of 'em."
Angela Gallup:
We had found two different kinds of red fibres on one of the suspects. It was Gary Dobson. Stephen's trousers were a sort of green-coloured elephant cord, which shed its constituent fibres very readily. And we found some of these fibres on an item of David Morris's clothing.
Female News Anchor (Archive):
Good afternoon, and welcome to the 大象传媒 News at One. Almost 19 years after Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death in South London, two men have finally been jailed for his murder. In front of a packed courtroom, Gary Dobson was sentenced to at least 15 years in jail, and David Norris to at least 14 years behind bars.
Stuart Lawrence:
It wasn't just two people the night that Stephen was murdered, so it didn't feel as a complete justice, but only as part justice.
Video summary
This short film examines the public inquiry into the failures of the original investigation and the changes in the law that meant suspects could be retried.
Pupils will see the editor of the Daily Mail (at the time) explaining the infamous 鈥楳URDERERS鈥 headline, and interviews between the press and the main suspects.
The discussion centres on the initial failure to achieve justice for the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the process leading to the eventual conviction of two of the perpetrators, as well as the response of the media and the role of parliament in addressing flaws within the criminal justice system.
This short film could be drawn on as part of the annual national Stephen Lawrence Day on 22 April. For more information visit the
Please note that this short film contains behaviour which could be imitated. Teacher review is recommended prior to use in class.
Teacher Notes
Possible areas of enquiry:
These questions can be single lesson titles within a larger scheme of learning or big enquiry questions to inform a unit of work. In which case, this short film can be used as a stimulus to support any of these areas.
- Is justice always achieved in the criminal justice system?
- How effective is parliament in ensuring the rule of law is upheld?
- To what extent should the media be limited in a democracy?
Before watching the film
This short film is suitable for students aged 14-16, however it is important to preface that some background knowledge on the murder of Stephen Lawrence should be addressed prior to showing the film in class.
During the lesson - Before watching the film
To begin, encourage students to become familiar with some of the key vocabulary that is used in the film or recap if they have already learnt these terms, such as: Inquest, Parliamentary Inquiry, Double Jeopardy, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and Institutional Racism.
NB: You can review the definition in either a gap fill activity or challenge students to explain how these terms may be linked and how it connects to the Stephen Lawrence story. (5 min)
In order to get students thinking and understanding some of the underlying issues raised in the film, ask them to discuss the following talking points below.
NB: This can be done in small groups or pairs for around 10 minutes.
Provide students with a guideline on expectations for the discussion beforehand and appoint a chairperson if it is in groups, who will help facilitate the discussion in their small groups.
Talking points
- What are the key principles of law? (Answers - Rule of law, Access to justice, Equality before the law, Innocent until proven guilty)
- Why is the rule of law a significant part of our democracy?
- What does it mean to achieve justice and why is it important?
- To what extent does having access to justice mean justice is always achieved?
While facilitating the discussion, probe students on some of the talking points/questions.
Ask some students; what factors can limit achieving justice and equality before the law? How might the government or parliament address these factors? (20 minutes)
While watching the film - Activity
Begin to watch the film.
It might be worthwhile to provide an activity sheet with a range of questions around the film and pause at intervals to facilitate further discussion around the key issues raised in different parts of the film.
Task - students watch (0:00 - 01.58 sec) and answer the following:
- Why did the CPS end their investigation and drop the charges of the Stephen Lawrence murder?
- Why did the private prosecution fail?
- What were the consequences of their failure to prosecute?
Pause the film.
Task: In a turn and talk activity ask students to discuss the following in pairs:
- How might the victim鈥檚 family feel when the CPS dropped all charges of those accused?
- What might have been the reaction of the public and how could this impact their view of the CPS?
- Why might it be important to put suspects on trial?
Continue watching the film.
Task - students watch (01.59 鈥 07.50) and answer the following:
- What were the actions of the Daily Mail?
- Why were the Daily Mail criticised for how they reported?
- To what extent was it right for the Daily Mail to call the suspects murderers without having faced trial?
- What was the Macpherson Report and why was it so significant?
- How did Parliament respond to the Macpherson Report and to what extent was this enough?
Pause the film.
Task: In a turn and talk activity ask students to discuss the following in pairs:
- Does the double jeopardy law ensure equality before the law or prevent access to justice?
Continue watching the film to the end. (07.50 鈥 09.40).
NB: provide additional time for students to complete all questions in relation to the film.
After watching the film - Activity
Reflection task:
After watching this short film, allow time for review and feedback and for students to apply what they have learnt from the film linking this to the extended writing section of the GCSE citizenship exam.
Prior to writing, it would be good for students to consolidate their understanding of the key concepts by talking and summarising some of the key points.
NB: One way you can do this is by providing a range of statements that present arguments for and against (see examples below).
You can get students active by labelling one side of the classroom for and the other against and asking students to stand on the side which best reflects their view.
This will also be a good opportunity to get students to provide a reasoned and well-justified judgment, extending their responses and making links to the film, using Stephen Lawrence鈥檚 case as an example.
Extend writing statements:
- 'In a democracy, you will always achieve justice鈥 how far do you agree?
- 鈥楾he media must always report the facts without biases' how far do you agree?
- 鈥楶arliament is effective in implementing new laws to address issues within the criminal justice system and society鈥 how far do you agree?
NB: You can spend the rest of the time answering one of the extended writing statements or if there is not enough time, get students to write one argument for and against. (20 min)
This short film supports understanding around GCSE citizenship concepts linking to democracy, justice, media, and parliament and campaigning.
It provides for an opportunity to use the Stephen Lawrence case as a focus case study whilst drawing on multiple concepts.
The discussion centres on the initial failure to achieve justice for the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the process leading to the eventual conviction of two of the perpetrators, as well as the response of the media and the role of parliament in addressing flaws within the criminal justice system.
Whilst different specification may require different skills, this resource provides clear links to most exam boards for GCSE citizenship studies.
In particular, it allows for greater synoptic links, as it intersects a range of topics/themes in 10 minutes.
As such, this can be used to teach and introduce new concepts or as a revision tool to elicit students ability to link concepts across themes enhancing their synoptic writing.
Diversity and identity. video
A look at attitudes towards identity, diversity and immigration in British society before the murder of Stephen Lawrence.
Racism and institutional racism. video
A look at how Stephen Lawrence's murder provoked an extensive inquiry into institutional racism within the police force.
听