In April 1993 Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racially motivated attack in London. A murder investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police, which led to six arrests, however only two charges were brought, and both were dropped due to insufficient evidence. A further private prosecution brought by Lawrence's family against five suspects was also unsuccessful, with two charges being dropped, and the remaining three suspects being acquitted. At an inquest into Lawrence's death in 1997, the jury's findings incriminated the five suspects. Growing suspicions arose surrounding the police handling of the case, and an inquiry was ordered by the Home Secretary. The subsequent report was published in 1999. The report found the Metropolitan Police to be an institutionally racist organisation, whose response to the initial incident, along with subsequent actions had jeopardised the successful prosecution of Lawrence's murderers. Two of the original five suspects were imprisoned for the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

This series includes reports relating to the inquiry, including submissions from the ACPO and the Metropolitan Police Service