Latest news with #ISOB
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Police race action plan for England and Wales could be sidelined, monitor says
A police race action plan for England and Wales, which was partly a response to the Black Lives Matter movement, is at risk of being deprioritised when central funding finishes, a monitoring group has said. The Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board (ISOB) fears that local forces have not been adequately prepared to take over responsibility for the plan when central police funding and oversight ends at the end of March next year. It is the ISOB's last year of oversight, raising concerns about whether there will be adequate scrutiny of the plan, which aims to tackle prejudice directed against the public and officers. Abimbola Johnson, the chair of the ISOB, said: '[The plan] was developed by the police itself, which to their credit was done in 2020 under the Conservative government, which didn't prioritise work that looked at anti-racism. But it also meant that there wasn't that central government oversight of the programme and there never has been. 'Without that happening and then without the central [policing] team, there are questions as to how it's going to remain a priority. What's going to be the impetus to continue to invest in this work?' The ISOB's annual report, published on Thursday, says: 'As it stands, the programme is not ready to be handed over to local forces and national police leads.' Among the concerns are that the plan's aims are not clearly understood across policing and forces do not fully understand what is required of them. The report welcomes the development of a 'maturity matrix', a first-of-its-kind public-facing dashboard to track anti-racism delivery against outcomes at force level, by the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC). But the ISOB expressed concerns that it was not yet operational. 'It makes things more transparent but it's a very, very complex piece of work and that requires them to start training officers on how to use it, making sure that non-police bodies know how to access it, making sure that it speaks for them in a way that helps them with their work around accountability,' Johnson said. Continuing concerns identified by the ISOB include racial disparities in stop and search, use of force and workforce outcomes. They also include poor data collection on ethnicity, limiting the ability to track progress or to spot harm. In the report, the chief constable of Avon and Somerset police, Sarah Crew, says: 'Acknowledging institutional racism is only the starting point. What matters is what we do next, and whether our actions match our intentions.' The ISOB wants the Home Office to take a hands-on approach with local forces to ensure a focus on anti-racism, address data gaps, create an inspection framework to assess compliance with the plan and coordinate expert-led scrutiny of it. The plan's programme director, Alison Heydari, a temporary deputy assistant Met commissioner, said black representation among police officers was up 25%, dismissals for discrimination had quadrupled and race disparity had fallen in relation to a range of police powers since the plan was launched. But she added: 'More must be done, especially as local forces take greater ownership of the plan from next year. The police race action plan is a long-term commitment that policing must continue, which will benefit all the communities we serve.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Racism has no place in policing and it is vital that forces reflect the diverse communities they serve. We support the aims of the police race action plan and are committed to working with police leaders to ensure necessary progress is made.'
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Harrowing warning about police racism as 'lack of leadership courage' fears raised
A new report by the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board (ISOB) says the Home Office must clarify how the Government's Police Race Action Plan (PRAP) will continue beyond next year and said the Home Office must be 'hands on' Black police officers are experiencing a "worsening environment" - with some saying they have considered ending their own lives, a harrowing report warns. A "lack of leadership courage" means racist behaviour is becoming normalised, the National Black Police Association (NBPA) said. It comes amid growing questions about how chief constables will be held to account in tackling racism beyond next year. Official data shows continued racial disparities in stop and search, use of force and treatment of children. But four years after the Government's Police Race Action Plan (PRAP) was drawn up, a key watchdog said there are huge gaps in the progress forces are making. Abimbola Johnson, who chairs the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board (ISOB), called on the Government to clarify what happens when PRAP funding runs out in March. In the watchdog's report, the NBPA warns: "Disappointingly, rather than witnessing improvements, we are seeing a worsening environment for Black and ethnic minority officers and staff, alongside persistent racial disparities in policing outcomes." It said some chief constables are "resistant" to PRAP's aims - adding: "This lack of leadership courage undermines the integrity of the plan." Since 2020 the NBPA said it has heard about horrific racist messages and vile language not resulting in formal sanctions. It said: "Behind these incidents are real people, not just statistics. READ MORE: Massive data leak saw 100,000 Afghans put in danger as thousands brought to UK "We have supported colleagues who have considered ending theirown lives due to the organisation's failure to protect them or take racism seriously. These are not isolated anecdotes - they are symptoms of a deeper institutional complacency, and they must serve as awake-up call to everyone in leadership. "There is a clear and dangerous gap in current provisions." Since PRAP was introduced, forces have been required to bring in changes and keep records to raise confidence in the Black communities. But the ISOB warns that there is huge variation between forces, and records are not kept consistently. And it said that unless the Home Office makes a longer-term commitment to the plan, there are serious questions over anti-racism work beyond next year. After this point it will become the sole responsibility of local forces. The Home Office must take a more "hands on" approach, the ISOB says. Hightlighting the ongoing need for action, campaign group Just for Kids Law: "There continues to be significant racial disparity in relation to children's interaction with the police, with tensions and lack of trust exacerbated in recent years. "Racist narratives of 'aggression' and 'propensity to violence' follow Black children throughout the systems with which they engage. Consequently, Black children are often, construed as risks to the public and community and, not being afforded the notion of innocence due to perceptions of being older and, therefore, more responsible for their actions." The ISOB says an upcoming Maturity Matrix - a publicly-available dashboard tracking anti-racism delivery in England and Wales' 43 forces must not be delayed further. It says an acknowledgement of institutional racism in some places, including Avon and Somerset, had led to better training and accountability. Ms Johnson said: "We remain concerned by a lack of clarity about which police forces are meeting their objectives, and more importantly, insight into what enables or hinders their success." She said poor data collection is a "significant issue", and added the anti-racism plan has not been consistently pushed to achieve its potential. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dr Alison Heydari, PRAP programme director , said: 'Policing has made strides forward since the plan was launched. Black representation is up by 25 per cent among police officers, race disparity has fallen in a whole range of police powers, while the number of officers dismissed 'for discriminatory behaviour has quadrupled, reflecting our commitment at the outset of this plan to take a zero-tolerance approach to racism. 'However, I am under no illusion about the scale of the challenge. More must be done, especially as local forces take greater ownership of the plan from next year. " A Home Office spokesperson said: 'There is no space for racism and intolerance in our police, and we will always take pride in our forces being truly representative of the diverse communities they serve. 'We fully support the aims of the Police Race Action Plan, and are committed to working with police leaders to ensure necessary progress is made.'
Business Wire
09-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Andrea Fair Inducted into International Society of Barristers
LONGVIEW, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Boutique law firm Miller Fair Henry is proud to announce that name partner Andrea Fair has been inducted into the International Society of Barristers (ISOB), an organization reserved for the world's most distinguished trial lawyers. Founded in 1966, the International Society of Barristers is a prestigious honor society with fewer than 750 members worldwide. ISOB is dedicated to excellence in courtroom advocacy, the preservation of the adversary system, defending the right to trial by jury and encouraging young lawyers to pursue trial work. 'I am honored and humbled to be inducted into the International Society of Barristers,' said Ms. Fair. 'This organization represents the very best of what it means to be a trial lawyer, and I am grateful to all who helped make this possible.' Membership is by invitation only and follows a rigorous screening process. Nominees must be evaluated and approved by existing Fellows based on their professional reputation, trial skills and commitment to the highest standards of ethics and civility. Ms. Fair is known for her high-stakes intellectual property trial practice. In the last year alone, she helped secure more than $1 billion in patent infringement verdicts, including the year's top-ranked verdict according to The Texas Lawbook, and a $122 million win against Amazon. Recently, she helped her national team obtain a $278.8 million jury verdict against Samsung Electronics for infringing two patents related to wireless communications technology. Ms. Fair has earned accolades from The Best Lawyers in America and Texas Super Lawyers and has repeatedly appeared on Texas Lawbook's list of top verdicts. Last year, she was listed as a finalist for Intellectual Property Attorney of the Year by and Texas Lawyer's Texas Legal Awards. Based in Longview, Texas, Miller Fair Henry is a trial law firm with a proven track record in high-stakes intellectual property disputes, commercial litigation and personal legal services. The firm's attorneys are frequently called on by lawyers nationwide to assist with complex litigation before Texas juries. Learn more at
