Featuring:
Aamer Anwar (Lawyer)
Sarah Armstrong (Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research / Glasgow University)
Deborah Coles (Director, INQUEST)
Kadi Johnson (Sister of Sheku Bayoh)
A panel discussion event that will ask the question: Why do deaths in custody matter in Scotland?
Scotland is a country that prides itself on its strong record of human rights, but the experiences of those who have died in custody and detention, and of their families, tell a different story. From the killing of Sheku Bayoh in police custody in Kirkcaldy in 2015 to Katie Allan’s death in Polmont YOI in 2018, this panel will discuss Scottish state violence, the failures to meaningfully investigate these deaths and campaigns for change that have arisen in response.
Our panel of academic, legal and campaign experts will explain the current state of play in Scotland, the impact of social and racial injustice, and the power of resistance through the courts, parliament, media, universities and the importance of working alongside families bereaved by state violence.
On the afternoon of Wed 19 June (3.30pm - 5pm) we screen The UK is Not Innocent - a 45-minute documentary film made by Rainbow Collective as part of INQUEST’s 40 Years heritage project. The film traces INQUEST’s evolution from a grassroots collective of families bereaved by state-related deaths to an established charity providing expertise on deaths in custody, exposing forty years of state violence and resistance in England and Wales.
Following the screening, there will be a Q&A exploring the role of visual arts in campaigns for social and racial justice. Q&A will be chaired by Naomi Oppenheim (INQUEST) and will feature Rachel Hamada (Take One Action), Sarah Booker and Simon Israel.
Free but ticketed - more information here.
