Justice Demands Compassion: Why Lord Bracadale is Right

It was Lord Scarman, when leading the inquiry into the Brixton riots of 1981, who showed how compassion and sensitivity could build public confidence in a process otherwise marked by mistrust. 

It was Judge Richard Goldstone in apartheid South Africa who, despite operating within an oppressive legal system, exercised humanity and fairness — visiting political prisoners, curbing abuses, and earning the trust of those the law sought to silence. 

Both understood that compassion is not weakness but strength: it is the quality that gives law its legitimacy.

In that same tradition, we welcome the fact that Lord Bracadale extended compassion and respect to the family of Sheku Bayoh. 

A public inquiry into the death of a young Black man in police custody is not a sterile exercise in procedure but an investigation into the brutal loss of life. To treat the family with dignity is not a sign of bias but a necessary acknowledgment of their grief and humanity.

We also commend Aamer Anwar  for his steadfast advocacy. For more than a decade he has stood shoulder to shoulder with the Bayoh family, ensuring their voices are not drowned out by institutional power. His role has been not only as a lawyer but as an ally — refusing to let this case be forgotten and insisting that justice must be pursued, however long the road.

More than a decade has passed since Sheku’s death, and 122 days of evidence have been heard. Against that weight of testimony, any attempt by the Police Federation to challenge proceedings appears as a desperate last throw of the dice — not an appeal to justice, but an effort to delay, distract, and protect institutional interests.

That such efforts could be bankrolled by hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money is a profound injustice. It forces taxpayers to fund obstruction, while leaving a bereaved family to face what can only be described as an “unholy trinity” of the Federation, the Solicitor General, and Police Scotland’s lawyers.

The Bayoh family have waited far too long for truth and accountability. Compassion for them is no indulgence — it is the essence of justice. What corrodes public confidence is not judicial humanity, but the powerful closing ranks to shield themselves from scrutiny.

Robina Qureshi