Stephen Lawrence's death changed policing

Stephen Lawrence (1974-1993), murder victim:

A-level student Stephen Lawrence was fatally stabbed at a bus stop near his home in Eltham, south-east London in April 1993.

A 1997 inquest ruled he had been "unlawfully killed in a completely unprovoked racist attack by five white youths".

The inquiry into the failure of the original police investigation to find and convict Stephen's killers, headed by Sir William MacPherson, became one of the most important moments in the history of criminal justice in Britain.

Famously concluding that the force was "institutionally racist", it made 70 recommendations and had an enormous impact on the race relations. It led to a major change in the law which today compels public authorities to tackle racism in a more robust manner than before.

Scotland Yard and other forces say they have made numerous changes in an attempt to stamp out racism.

The Jill Dando Institute is devoted to reducing crime

Jill Dando (1961-1999), journalist and television broadcaster:

Jill Dando, 37, was shot dead five years ago at her home in Fulham, south-west London, by unemployed Barry George, who was jailed for life in July 2001.

The Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science was set up three years ago to focus on how to prevent crime.

The institute was created with �1m donated to the Jill Dando Fund.

Part of University College London, its emphasis is on both preventing crimes from happening and catching offenders more quickly after the event.

Robert Maxwell's death changed pension law

Robert Maxwell (1923-1991), publisher and swindler:

Born in extreme poverty in the Carpathian mountains in then Czechoslovakia, Jan Ludvik Hoch - as he was then - succeeded in building a publishing empire that spanned the world.

His death in November 1991 at the age of 68 initially prompted a series of eulogies for his achievements.

But in the weeks that followed it emerged he had stolen about �460m from his company's pension funds to finance his business dealings.

Under the 1995 Pensions Act - a response to the Maxwell affair, if money has been removed dishonestly from a pension scheme, an employer must make sure enough money is put back into the scheme to pay future benefits.

If the employer is insolvent and unable to restore the funds, the pension scheme will be able to claim compensation of up to 90% from the Pensions Compensation Board.

James Bulger's death changed the way juveniles are sentenced

James Bulger (1990-1993), murder victim:

The murder of two-year-old James Bulger, who was abducted from a busy shopping centre in Bootle, on Merseyside, left the whole country in shock.

Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10, were named by the presiding judge, Mr Justice Morland, after a jury convicted them of murdering James.

But the European Court of Human Rights ruled Venables and Thompson had not received a fair trial because their case had been heard in an adult court, and former Home Secretary Michael Howard had acted illegally when he set their minimum sentence at 15 years.

Then Home Secretary Jack Straw referred the matter to Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, who cut their minimum sentence to eight years.

And ahead of their 2001 release, Family Division president Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, ruled Thompson and Venables' new identities should be kept secret.

Philip Lawrence's death changed the way schools are policed

Philip Lawrence (1947-1995), headmaster:

Head teacher Philip Lawrence was stabbed to death protecting a pupil outside his school in Maida Vale, west London.

In response to this murder, legislation to clamp down on the possession of knives on school premises was rushed through Parliament.

This included making it a criminal offence to carry knives or other offensive weapons on school premises and giving the police powers to search for knives inside schools.

The guidelines on disciplining pupils caught with offensive weapons were also strengthened.

It is now easier to expel a pupil for a first offence and appeals panels cannot reinstate pupils who have been found in possession of weapons.