Families of people who died in police custody lead the first People’s Tribunal

image credit: United Families & Friends www.uffcampaign.org

source: The Voice Online | published: 4 April 2025


Families of people who died in police custody in the United Kingdom held the first public People’s Tribunal on the 5th & 6th of April 2025 at Regent's University in Central London. The People’s Tribunal on Police Killings (PTPK), is a collective of campaign groups of families whose loved ones have died in police custody.


The group is instigating the reopening of all of the several thousand deaths and initiating their reinvestigations. This international initiative with a 10-year plan of action is aiming to deliver the justice that every family affected by deaths in police custody has long campaigned for.

Last year, official statistics showed that the UK saw the highest number of deaths in or following police custody for 17 years.


The latest annual data from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) covering 2023/4 shows 24 deaths in or following police custody in England and Wales.

The group is instigating the reopening of all of the several thousand deaths and initiating their reinvestigations. This international initiative with a 10-year plan of action is aiming to deliver the justice that every family affected by deaths in police custody has long campaigned for.


One long-term goal is to develop a global movement of people’s tribunals.


Last year, official statistics showed that the UK saw the highest number of deaths in or following police custody for 17 years.


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