Government & State

originally published by: rabble.ca
27th January 2010

Police-led investigations of deaths that occur in police custody are inherently flawed, with normal procedures thrown out the window, punitive actions rarely being taken, and officers existing “above the law.”

That’s according to a panel of experts organized by the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), who at a Vancouver forum last Thursday called for immediate reform by replacing police-lead investigations with civilian teams.

Change is most desperately needed in British Columbia, panel members say, where a number of civilian deaths in police custody have prompted public outcry. In all of these cases, no officers have been charged, with some only facing a few days suspended leave as punishment.

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originally published by: The Press Association
22nd January 2010

The Attorney General has said that there was an “unanswered question” over the death of a student from north London who allegedly became involved with a “dangerous” right-wing political cult in Germany.

Baroness Scotland said it was unclear from the inquest into the death of 22-year-old Jeremiah Duggan whether his fatal injuries were caused by running into the path of two vehicles on the German autobahn near Wiesbaden in March 2003.

His mother, Erica, who has always called for a full investigation into this death, will apply to the High Court for a fresh inquest in a bid to obtain “a just and proper public investigation into her son’s tragic and suspicious death”, her lawyers, Leigh Day, said.