Race and the Criminal Process: Breaking the Mould to Ensure Accurate Ethnic Monitoring

Abstract

The media, judiciary, legislature and the Executive currently agree that the criminal process is in need of reform. Indeed, on Tuesday 18 June 2002, Tony Blair described the criminal justice system as ‘antique and ineffectual’. This article investigates the purposes and uses of racial and ethnical terminologies in the criminal justice system. Notwithstanding the importance of existing racial definitions in criminal justice, a standard definition of ethnicity is regarded as necessary to ensure that ethnic monitoring is accurate and effective. Therefore this article questions the validity, accuracy and purposes of the terminologies used in contemporary and past studies in relation to the most extensive reports on ethnic monitoring; namely the National Censuses of Population, the Home Office Research Statistics and Development Directorate's publications and the British Crime Surveys'. This article also considers the impact that foreseeable social and demographic changes may have on the use of racial and ethnic classifications in the criminal justice system, as well as the ways in which the various bodies of the criminal process may prepare for potential changes.