Aamer Anwar calls Scottish justice system ‘institutionally racist’

A human rights lawyer representing the family of a black man who died in police custody has branded the Scottish criminal justice system “institutionally racist”. Aamer Anwar told an inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh, 31, that he initially advised the dead man’s relatives to trust the Crown Office and Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) in their investigation and not mention race as a factor because they would be “attacked” for doing so. Anwar said the institutions “failed to deliver truth, justice and accountability” during their investigations into Bayoh’s death after a confrontation with police in 2015. Aamer Anwar with Skehu Bayoh’s sister Kosna, second left, and mother Aminata, outside Capital House, Edinburgh as the inquiry recommences JANE BARLOW/PA Anwar said: “Fundamentally, all of them failed to deliver justice. The criminal justice system in this country is institutionally racist.” He said the impact of the case had been traumatic and that he had been subjected to “attacks” professionally and had a nervous breakdown. Anwar also told the inquiry that providing free legal advice to the family of Bayoh jeopardised his business. Advertisement Bayoh, a father of two, died after he was restrained on the ground by police officers...