Let's get it right: race and justice 2000 - Nacro

Let’s get it rightWhatever the explanation, these findings haveimplications for the levels of policing and other criminaljustice services needed for communities most at risk.They also have implications for services for witnesses atcourt – for example provision of information leaflets andsigns at court in languages appropriate to each court area,access to interpreters, availability of alternative methodsof taking the oath or affirming.The inter-agency Trials Issues Group (TIG) has agreednational standards for witness care in the criminal justicesystem. These are mirrored by local inter-agencyagreements in most areas, which may vary according tolocal circumstances. They set out the standards whichwitnesses should expect when they come to court andwho is responsible for which standard.Underlying principles include dealing with all witnessessensitively with regard to differences in language,expression, religion and customs of people from minoritygroups; giving priority to cases where people may be atrisk of intimidation; and ensuring suitable interpreters areprovided who are familiar with the language but also withlegal and court expressions.Finding suitable interpreters is not easy. The NationalRegister of Public Service Interpreters, currentlyadministered by the Institute of Linguists, was set up in1997. It provides details of interpreters, not only for thecriminal justice system, but also the civil justice system,local government, the health service and immigration.In December 1997, the Trials Issues Group launched anational agreement on the arrangements for the attendanceof interpreters in investigations and proceedings withinthe criminal justice system. The arrangements wereintroduced from April 1998.The underlying principle of the agreement is the provisionof a standardised procedure for securing the attendance ofproperly qualified interpreters for criminal investigationsand court proceedings in England and Wales. The aim isthat by the end of 2001 every foreign language interpreterworking in courts and police stations should be selectedfrom the National Register of Public Service Interpreters,which offers a minimum and measurable standard oftraining and quality.An Interpreters Working Group was set up to facilitateimplementation of the national agreement and to promoteits principles. The working group is chaired by the CPSand consists of TIG and interpreter associationrepresentatives.In 1998, a report from an interdepartmental workinggroup, ‘Speaking Up for Justice’, looked at what wasneeded to assist vulnerable and intimidated witnesses. Itput forward 78 recommendations for improvements to thecriminal justice system, including the reporting of crime,the identification of vulnerable or intimidated witnessesand measures intended to assist witnesses before, duringand after the trial. A number of the recommendationsrequire legislation to bring them into effect and thisprocess has commenced by the introduction of the YouthJustice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999. Many of theserecommendations will be helpful in encouraging moreminority victims of crime to report crimes, and inprotecting victims of racial incidents who may feelparticularly intimidated at court.Many people in minority communities feel that crimesagainst them are not taken seriously by the criminaljustice system, and that they do not receive the standardof services their communities deserve. The 1994 BCSasked respondents about their satisfaction with responsesto crimes they have reported. They show:Asians and African Caribbeans were less satisfied thanwhites that officers responded immediately to initialcontact, were sufficiently interested in what they said,or put enough effort into dealing with the matter.48% of white respondents felt that they had been keptvery or fairly well informed compared to 34% ofAsians and 33% of African Caribbeans.75% of whites were very or fairly satisfied with theoverall police performance, compared to 61% for bothAsians and African Caribbeans.Racist crimesThe British Crime Survey estimated that in 1995, 382,000offences were considered by the victim to be motivatedby racism (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 6/98). Ofthese, 143,000 were committed against minority ethnicvictims, representing 15% of all crimes against them;238,000 racially motivated incidents were committedagainst white people, 1% of all crimes committed againstthem. The BCS found ‘no firm evidence of a significantchange in the numbers of racially motivated crimesagainst ethnic minorities since 1991’.48