JUSTICE DENIED(50 minutes/l995/Director Ken Fero/Migrant Media)

On the 28th July 1993 Joy Gardner died when police and deportation officers used force to restrain her, tying her with a body belt and ankle straps and gagging her mouth with thirteen feet of tape. There was a national outcry when people heard how Joy had died. ‘Justice Denied ‘ hears from members of her family about Joy’s death, reports on the reactions to it in the Black community, examines two other deaths related to immigration control, that of Kwanele Siziba and Joseph Nnalue, and asks what are the political circumstances that allow these deaths to happen.

The film follows the struggle of Joy’s family in their fight for justice and for the truth to be exposed. The film examines how the media carried out a character assassination of Joy in order to justify the way in which she was killed and how this fed into a widespread cover-up.

The highly controversial programme asks why senior police officers and the immigration service did not face charges for their involvement in this controversial incident. Throughout ‘Justice Denied’ the families speak out to keep the memory of their loved ones alive, to demand justice and to challenge the climate of fear created by Britain’s enforcement of immigration controls.

Update: 28th July 2013
It has now been 20 years since the death of Joy Gardner. Deaths during deportation have not stopped and only a week ago, at the time of writing, an inquest jury found that Jimmy Mubenga had been ‘Unlawfully Killed’ during deportation. Time will tell if anybody is held to account for his death. Family run campaign against custody deaths continue also and to mark the release of this film on Vimeo a launch event will be held in Tottenham, North London on 3rd August 2013 for all those who have died at the hands of the state in Tottenham.