Tackling Ethnic Disproportionality in Youth Justice

It is a fundamental tenet of our legal system that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. However, the fact remains that for a range of reasons, that isn’t always the case. In particular, research demonstrates that the criminal justice service treats individuals from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups differently.

In 2017, the Lammy Review was the latest in a long line of work which investigated this in more detail and shone a spotlight on ethnic disproportionality in the criminal justice service. This followed landmark reviews such as the Macpherson Inquiry, but it was the first to have such a wide-ranging focus throughout the whole justice process, looking at the role of the Crown Prosecution Service, courts, prisons and probation and considering the experiences of men, women and children. The Lammy Review exposed the extent of disproportionality in the criminal justice service, prompting agencies to respond to the review’s findings.

Since then, the Mayor has published a specific Action Plan for Transparency, Trust and Accountability in Policing, which was developed in collaboration with communities, young people and police. It aims to improve Black communities’ trust and confidence in policing and address community concerns about disproportionate use of certain police powers. As the first point of contact between citizens and the justice service, policing has a critical and influential role in reducing ethnic disproportionality. However, disproportionality exists at each stage of the criminal justice system and each agency has a role to play in ensuring minority ethnic individuals receive fair and equal treatment.

This document complements the Mayor’s Action Plan for Transparency, Trust and Accountability in Policing and will sit alongside the wider City Hall work, led by London’s Violence Reduction Unit, which identifies young people as a priority in London’s post-covid recovery. It builds on the existing work of justice agencies to tackle BAME over-representation in youth justice, by providing a set of actions from youth justice partners.