Duwayne Brooks

Brooks was born in Lewisham to Jamaican parents. He grew up in Deptford and attended Blackheath Bluecoat Church of England School in Charlton. In 1991 he went to study engineering at Woolwich College and at Lewisham College a year later.{{cite book |last=Brooks |first=Duwayne |date=7 September 2006 |title=Steve and Me: My friendship with Stephen Lawrence |publisher=BrooksBooks |isbn=978-0-95-526890-8}}

{{Main|Murder of Stephen Lawrence}}

Brooks was with his friend Stephen Lawrence when he was murdered on 22 April 1993, and experienced severe post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the attack.{{Cite journal|last=Smith|first=Graham|date=2005-08-01|title=Police: Duty of Care to Victims and Witnesses: Brooks v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and others [2005] UKHL 24|url=https://doi.org/10.1350/jcla.2005.69.4.318|journal=The Journal of Criminal Law|language=en|volume=69|issue=4|pages=318–321|doi=10.1350/jcla.2005.69.4.318|s2cid=143308407|issn=0022-0183|url-access=subscription}} He sought damages under the tort of negligence for his treatment by the police in the aftermath of the murder, as a suspect rather than a witness.Brooks v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2005] 1 WLR 1495 This claim was rejected on the basis that case precedent, particularly the case of Hill v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire (1989) had not established that police should owe a duty of care to claimants impacted by their negligence.{{Cite journal|last1=Tofaris|first1=Stelios|last2=Steel|first2=Sandy|title=Negligence Liability for Omissions and the Police|date=March 2016|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-law-journal/article/abs/negligence-liability-for-omissions-and-the-police/AC83F61745C4326FEE217D993868C08D|journal=The Cambridge Law Journal|language=en|volume=75|issue=1|pages=128–157|doi=10.1017/S0008197315001002|s2cid=147867705|issn=0008-1973|doi-access=free|url-access=subscription}} Although, unlike Hill, the police had harmed Brooks directly, rather than him being harmed by their lack of action, the police were not deemed liable for his psychiatric injuries.Michael v Chief Constable of South Wales Police [2015] UKSC 2, [2015] AC 1732 [32] The murder led to an inquiry headed by Sir William Macpherson which concluded that the Metropolitan Police Force was "institutionally racist".

Brooks was arrested after allegations that he was involved in an incident during an anti-racist march outside the British National Party headquarters in Welling days after the murder. Although Brooks was charged, the judge dismissed the case against him.{{cite news |last=Symonds |first=Tom |date=24 June 2013 |title=Police 'spied on' Stephen Lawrence family, says Guardian newspaper |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23022634 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=15 April 2018}} It was later revealed that the Special Demonstration Squad had been set to discover any incriminating details about members of the Justice for Stephen Lawrence campaign, including his parents and friends. The allegations against Brooks subsequently appeared.{{cite news |url=https://www.channel4.com/news/stephen-lawrence-undercover-police-officer-smear-campaign |title=Stephen Lawrence family 'targeted in police smear campaign' |publisher=Channel 4 News |date=24 June 2013 |access-date=31 May 2018}} Brooks sued the Metropolitan Police in 2006, winning £100,000 in compensation.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/mar/11/race.ukcrime|title=£100,000 Met compensation for Stephen Lawrence's friend|first=Rosie|last=Cowan|date=11 March 2006|via=www.theguardian.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/26679/Stephen%20Lawrence%20murder:%20The%20persecution%20of%20Duwayne%20Brooks|title=Stephen Lawrence murder: The persecution of Duwayne Brooks|website=Socialist Worker (Britain)}}

In February 2009, Brooks became a councillor for the Liberal Democrats in the London Borough of Lewisham following a by-election in the Downham Ward.{{cite news |last=Bannerman |first=Lucy |date=17 February 2009 |title=Duwayne Brooks, friend of Stephen Lawrence, goes into politics |url=https://www.thetimes.com/best-law-firms/profile-legal/article/duwayne-brooks-friend-of-stephen-lawrence-goes-into-politics-s6250lvn0kc |newspaper=The Times |access-date=6 January 2011 |url-access=subscription }}{{cite web|url=http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemocracy/DemocracyAndElections/Elections/ElectionCountsAndResults/DownhamByElection.htm |title=Downham Ward by-election results 19 February 2009 |publisher=London Borough of Lewisham |date=2009-02-19 |access-date=2011-01-06}} Later that year, he was elected onto the Safer Communities Board at the Local Government Group as Lead Member for the Liberal Democrats.{{cite web |url=http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/councillor/profile-display.do?id=11435282 |title=LGA Safer and Stronger Communities Board Member Profile |publisher=Lga.gov.uk |access-date=2011-01-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717024426/http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/councillor/profile-display.do?id=11435282 |archive-date=2011-07-17 }} He was re-elected for the Downham Ward in May 2010,{{cite web|url=http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemocracy/DemocracyAndElections/Elections/LocalGovernment/DownhamResults6May2010.htm |title=Downham Ward Election results 6 May 2010 |publisher=London Borough of Lewisham |date=2010-05-06 |access-date=2011-01-06}} and appointed "Community Cohesion and PREVENT Champion" at the Local Government Group months later.

In autumn 2010, Brooks was named among the potential candidates[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11386169 "Stephen Lawrence friend may run for mayor of London"], BBC News, London, 21 September 2010. Retrieved on 04-01-2011. for the 2012 London mayoral election{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/lib-dem-failure-to-find-candidate-puts-party-out-of-mayoral-race-for-year-6525070.html |title=Lib-Dem failure to find candidate puts party out of mayoral race for year |newspaper=London Evening Standard |date=15 October 2010 |access-date=30 May 2011}} but was never shortlisted. He was part of the team around the eventual Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate, Brian Paddick, said to be as a proposed Deputy for Youth and Communities."We need to get behind Brian Paddick and our London candidates now", by Chris Rennard, London Liberal Democrats election communication, 13 April 2012 He stood unsuccessfully as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of Lewisham in 2014.{{cite web |url=http://alternativese4.com/2013/12/17/the-men-who-would-be-mayor-of-lewisham/ |title=The Men Who Would Be Mayor of Lewisham |date=2013-12-17 |access-date=2014-02-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112074121/http://alternativese4.com/2013/12/17/the-men-who-would-be-mayor-of-lewisham/ |archive-date=2014-01-12 }} He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2015 Birthday Honours for public and political service.{{London Gazette

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Brooks was shortlisted to be the party's candidate for the 2016 London mayoral election, but withdrew in August 2015 in order to assist a review of stop and search by police in Northamptonshire.{{Cite news|url=http://www.itv.com/news/london/2015-08-19/close-friend-of-murdered-teenager-stephen-lawrence-pulls-out-of-the-race-to-be-londons-next-mayor/|title=Close friend of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence pulls out of the race to be London's next mayor|date=19 August 2015|work=ITV News|access-date=1 June 2018|language=en}} In 2018, he stood unsuccessfully as an independent candidate to become Mayor of Lewisham.{{cite news|url=http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/15787918.Stephen_Lawrence_pal_Duwayne_Brooks_launches_new_Lewisham_mayor_bid/|title=Stephen Lawrence pal Duwayne Brooks launches Lewisham mayor bid|date=21 December 2017|work=News Shopper|first=Jim|last=Palmer|access-date=15 April 2018}}{{cite news|first=Toby|last=Porter|date=28 December 2017|access-date=15 April 2018|work=South London News|title=Stephen Lawrence friend is standing for borough mayor|url=https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/stephen-lawrence-friend-is-standing-for-borough-mayor/}}{{cite web |url=http://councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=25&RPID=42792346 |title=Election results for London Borough of Lewisham |publisher=London Borough of Lewisham |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508073247/http://councilmeetings.lewisham.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=25&RPID=42792346 |archive-date=2018-05-08 |access-date=2018-05-08}}

Brooks joined the Conservative Party in May 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/stephen-lawrences-friend-duwayne-brooks-calls-on-sadiq-khan-to-quit-its-time-the-mayor-took-a3858441.html|title=Stephen Lawrence's friend Duwayne Brooks calls for Sadiq Khan to quit over violence surge|date=8 June 2018|website=Evening Standard}} He was longlisted to be their 2020 London mayoral candidate, but was not selected.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-44877662|title=London mayoral race: Tories shortlist 10 candidates|date=18 July 2018|via=www.bbc.co.uk}}

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Category:1974 births

Category:Living people

Category:Councillors in the London Borough of Lewisham

Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) councillors

Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Category:People from Deptford

Category:People from Lewisham

Category:English people of Barbadian descent

Category:Black British politicians

Category:Conservative Party (UK) councillors