The mother of Stephen Lawrence made a poignant plea for a renewed drive towards race equality yesterday.

Doreen Lawrence urged people not to forget that her ‘struggle’ since  her son was murdered by racist  thugs has been for everyone to have opportunity and justice regardless of their background.

The journey in the last 18½ years has not been about me,’ she said. ‘It’s been a vehicle for change and not accepting the negative stereotyping that has blighted people of colour.’

At the inaugural Criminal Justice Lecture held by the trust set up in Stephen’s memory, Mrs Lawrence said the recent convictions of two of the five men she believes are responsible for Stephen’s
murder was ‘partial justice’.

Lord Blair said: ‘Mr Dacre, you changed history, I would suggest, because I am sure that headline was one of the
decisive factors in the Macpherson recommendation – and the then government’s decision to accept it – to abolish the doctrine of double jeopardy.

‘From that decision, the route lay open to the recent, eventually successful prosecution of at least some of those involved in Stephen’s brutal death. And, perhaps, one day, of some more.’

Also addressing the event at law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s Northcliffe Auditorium in central London was
former Attorney General Baroness Scotland.

She said most people would have greeted the idea of such an eclectic panel discussing equal opportunity with ‘laughter’ back in 1993, illustrating how much has been achieved since Stephen’s murder.


The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust helps disadvantaged students into careers in architecture, the profession which Stephen dreamed of entering.

As part of an initiative to expand its work into other professions, the Daily Mail is to sponsor two journalism bursaries for it.

Mr Dacre said: ‘The charity has done hugely valuable work in helping aspirational youngsters qualify as architects. We share with Stephen’s family the wish that more hardworking young people from disadvantaged backgrounds should also look to journalism as a career – just as Stephen aspired to become an architect before his life was so viciously cut short.’

The trust’s managing director Paul Anderson-Walsh said Stephen had become the ‘architect of criminal justice
change’, adding: ‘Although he is dead, his blood still speaks, his blood gives voice to a very serious struggle – a struggle for criminal and social justice.’

■ How to
donate: Online: just giving.com/slct/donate or www.stephenlawrence.org.uk; bank account sort code 30-94-08, account number 02963035; by cheque made payable to
Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust at 39 Brookmill Road, Deptford, London SE8 4HU; or text SLCT18 followed by the  £ symbol then the amount to 70070.