News

Peers have called for a more diverse judiciary, stating that targets may be needed to increase the number of ethnic minority and female judges.

The House of Lords Constitution Committee said that there may be a need to set targets if the judiciary did not better reflect society within five years.

Currently, only one in 20 judges is non-white and less than a quarter are women. The committee believe this has led to a lack of public confidence in the courts system.

Councillor Chaz Singh has been chosen to serve as the Deputy Lord Mayor of Plymouth.

Singh, who will be sworn in May, was chosen for the position by Lord Mayor Mike Wright.

Singh's wife Saranjit Kaur will be taking up the role of Deputy Lady Mayoress.

It has been an eventful year for Singh, who became the city's first Sikh councillor when he was elected to represent Drake ward in 2011.

Police are searching for a man after a Black woman had acid thrown at her in Salford in what is believed to be a racist attack.

The 29-year-old was treated in hospital for burns to her chest and back after what police believe was a random attack last Thursday afternoon.

The woman was pushing her baby in a pram along the underpass in Broad Street Pendleton when she was approached by a man in his 40s.

The economic downturn has made it difficult for many in the country. For Black people looking to make ends meet or vying for a career, things look bleak.

Such is the lack of opportunities for the Black community, many are looking at opportunities abroad, with some taking the step to leave Britain and seek their fortune elsewhere.

In a piece written for The Guardian's Comment is Free section, Melody David talks about how many of her Black friends have left the UK or seriously considering leaving, depriving the nation of talented people.

An Oxford law graduate accused of throwing bricks at police during last year’s riots in Hackney has been found not guilty by a jury at Wood Green Crown Court, who took just 30 minutes to acquit him.

The late, great Whitney Houston once sang, "I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way." Here at Operation Black Vote, we also believe that the younger generation of today, are our future leaders and decision makers.

But the sad reality is that most people are all too ready to write off the youth of today. Our future depends on them, but, as Whitney says, we have to teach them well and let them lead the way. It isn't just a song lyric, rather a lesson for all of us to heed.

To mark International Women’s Month, we at OBV have been profiling women who are committed to serving their communities and excelled in their respective fields. There are countless women who have made a big difference but some are unsung heroes whose efforts go under the radar.

Organisations aiming to tackle the negative stereotypes surrounding Muslim women have launched an awards ceremony which will celebrate achievements and highlight success stories.

Manchester-based Human Appeal International (HAI) has teamed up with the Muslim Women’s Network UK (MWNUK) to highlight the success stories of women from Muslim backgrounds by organising the region's first ever Muslim Women’s Contribution Awards.

Since the young gifted footballer Fabrice Muamba collapsed and nearly died of a massive heart attack less than a week ago, it seemed as though a nation held its breath. First wishing this young man would survive, and then that he would be in a position to make a very good recovery. Doctors have confirmed that for 78 minutes, Muamba was in effect, dead: his heart had stopped and he was not breathing.

Trayvon Martin an unarmed student going to the shops to buy his brother some sweets, was gunned down and killed by a trigger happy vigilante George Zimmerman who has not even been arrested for his murder.

Under Florida State law an individual can be gunned down and killed if a person feels that their life is in imminent danger. The fact that ‘imminent danger’ covers someone’s unfounded suspicion, means that young Black men such as Trayvon Martin can be shot dead for being Black.