CPS law scholarship in honour of Anthony Walker
18/05/2006
The Crown Prosecution Service today launched a law scholarship in memory of Anthony Walker, a young man with ambitions of becoming a lawyer, who was viciously murdered because of the colour of his skin.
The Director of Public Prosecution, Ken Macdonald said: "The Attorney General proposed, and I am pleased to announce, the launch of this law scholarship scheme.
"Anthony had dreams of becoming a lawyer. These dreams were ended in a vicious and completely unprovoked racist attack. I hope this scholarship will help people like Anthony to aim high and to achieve their full potential. I want to let people see that the CPS offers interesting and varied careers, careers that are open to everybody, where people are judged on their merits and not on their background or the colour of their skin.
The Attorney General Lord Goldsmith said:
"Anthony Walker wanted to be a lawyer but the opportunity to fulfil his potential was taken away when he was brutally murdered by racists.
"As a Liverpool man myself, I am extremely proud that the Anthony Walker law scholarship will open doors for young people from Merseyside, especially if they come from black and minority ethnic communities, who are currently underrepresented in the CPS locally.
"I would like to pay a personal tribute to Anthony's mother Gee and the Walker family who have conducted themselves with great dignity while facing such a tragic loss. I trust that they may find some comfort in the knowledge that Anthony's legacy will live on through others."
The Director added "The CPS is determined to become an open and accountable prosecution service that reflects the communities we serve. Nationally 14.2 per cent of staff and 14 per cent of Chief Crown Prosecutors are from Black and Minority Ethnic communities. We are proud of this. We are working hard in Merseyside to ensure that access to careers in the CPS is open to everybody and that we reflect the community we serve."
The Director also launched a report on the good practice and lessons learnt from CPS Merseyside's handling of the racist murder of Anthony Walker. This report will help the CPS to continue improving the service offered to victims, witnesses and the wider community.
Chief Crown Prosecutor, Paul Whittaker said: "This was a tragic death that personally affected all of the people in the case, but also had a profound effect on the whole city. Whenever such a horrendous crime happens, it is crucial that the CPS and the criminal justice system analyses how the case was handled. While I am proud of the way this case was prosecuted that doesn't mean there are not ways for us to further improve the service we offer.
"The report highlights the benefits of the police and CPS working together. This prosecution team approach allowed the strongest case to be presented at the earliest opportunity. The report also illustrates the benefit of communicating effectively with the victims and witnesses of crime, to ensure that clear accurate information is provided to them throughout the prosecution. We must ensure that the lessons we learned are shared with all our colleagues and applied in all hate crime prosecutions."
Notes to Editors
- For further details, or a copy of the good practice guide please contact CPS Press Office on 020 7796 8079.
- Michael Barton was found guilty of murder on November 2005. His friend Paul Taylor changed his plea to guilty on the first day the pair were due to stand trial.
- Handling Sensitive Race Hate Crime: An overview of good practice and lessons learnt in the CPS Merseyside handling of the racist murder of Anthony Walker can be downloaded from here, and is also available in the Publications/Equality and Diversity Policy and Guidance section.
