Aamer Anwar was targeted by the intelligence gathering operation after he began representing the family of Sheku Bayoh, who died in custody.
Police carried out a secret spying operation on one of Scotland’s top lawyers when he took on a case accusing officers of causing a racially-aggravated death.
Dad-of-two Sheku, 31, died on May 3, 2015, after a Sunday morning incident in a street in Kirkcaldy involving up to nine police officers. PIRC investigator William Little claimed Police Scotland refused to tell them more about those who were carrying out checks and their reasons for doing so. They were also asked to establish if there had been any data breaches or offences as a result of these searches. The inquiry was told that Police Scotland had several databases containing information on people involved in criminality.
Mr Little said: "We obviously hit a kind of block, a hurdle here." The investigator was then asked by inquiry senior counsel Angela Grahame: "Did you feel satisfied that the public would be satisfied that your investigation had been completed?” He replied: "That Police Scotland never had a lawful purpose for retaining – for keeping such a record." PIRC then held a meeting with Duncan Campbell, the head of legal at Police Scotland, to discuss the information being held on the lawyer and the legality of it.
"The Crown Office refusing the request for a warrant by PIRC for Police Scotland simply confirms to the Bayoh family they were viewed as the enemy."
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