More than 100 family members of individuals who have died following interactions with the police in the UK since 1971 have joined forces to potentially launch a class action lawsuit seeking compensation and justice. This initiative was announced at the People’s Tribunal on Police Killings, a two-day event where grieving families presented their experiences and evidence to an international panel of experts regarding the circumstances of their loved ones’ deaths and the lasting impact on their families. The event’s findings will lay the groundwork for a legal action that could be the first of its kind, targeting police officers, police chiefs, and government departments implicated in these deaths. Ken Fero, an activist and filmmaker involved in leading the action, describes it as innovative and necessary for the many families who feel their voices have been silent for too long. Since 1971, approximately 3,000 deaths involving the police in the UK have been documented, yet only four police officers have been convicted of causing a fatality. The tribunal and legal action involve people like Sieta Lambrias, whose brother Mikey Powell died due to positional asphyxia after being restrained by police in 2003, and Samantha Patterson, whose brother Jason McPherson died in 2007 during a police stop and search. The process has been difficult and emotionally taxing for these families, with some feeling that the inquest process failed to provide the justice they sought. The class action aims to address not only prosecutions and compensations but also the broader recognition of the State’s failure to protect its citizens from police violence. The tribunal, organized by various campaigning groups, seeks to expose the extent of the injustices faced by families and communities affected by police killings, particularly highlighting the disproportionate impact on black individuals.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/06/dozens-of-families-join-plan-for-class-action-over-uk-police-contact-deaths