Brooks v. Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2005] UKHL 24

House of Lords

21 April 2005

The claimant, a friend of Stephen Lawrence who was with him the night he died sought damages in negligence and for breaches of s.20 Race Relations Act 1976 by the police regarding the manner in which he was treated by the police when he was a victim of crime and an eye-witness to a murder.

Held, the victim of a crime and eye-witness to murder was not allowed to proceed with a claim for damages in negligence against the police for the manner in which he was treated by the police. The principles of duty of care he put forward were conclusively ruled out by the principles in Hill v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire (1988) 138 NLJ 126.