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Ultimately, we must either abandon our reliance on stop and search or abandon any hope for a criminal justice system grounded in equality, impartiality and fairness.
David Lammy
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the need for a fair criminal justice system and critiques reliance on stop and search practices that may undermine equality.

David Lammy's quote suggests that the continued use of stop and search as a policing method poses a threat to the foundational principles of a just criminal justice system. It implies that without a commitment to equality and fairness, society risks perpetuating discrimination and bias, undermining public trust in justice institutions. Hence, it calls for a reevaluation of policing strategies to ensure they align with ideals of impartiality.

Themes

JusticeEqualityFairnessPolicingStop And Search

In practice

Example use cases

In a community meeting addressing local policing strategies, this quote can underscore the importance of reform.

More from David Lammy

A workplace culture where fathers are encouraged to take paternity leave would result in stronger families, a more equal labour market and a better economy.
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People don't contest that I'm British as a black man, but they do contest that I'm English. Too many people are going back to an ethnocentric idea of what being English means.
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We cannot afford to lose talented young black people, who make it to university, overseas, or worse, to let other talented black people be put off by the notion that university is somehow not for them.
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The idea of a family sitting round the kitchen table and carefully planning their future family size based on the certainty of years to come is a complete fantasy. Back in the real world, jobs are lost, livelihoods taken away, families break apart, partners leave or pass away.
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Many black youths are defying stereotypes, achieving good academic results, finding employment and contributing to their communities. But helping those who fall behind is not an exercise in political correctness, it is a precisely what a compassionate - and sensible - state should concern itself with.
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Like many black men growing up in London, I have been stopped and searched by several policemen. I was 12 years old when I was first groped and frisked by police for walking down the road. It terrified me so much I wet myself.
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