We have to get a culture where that doesn't happen either unwittingly or through thoughtlessness

Jim Wallace

"It's something we have to be on our guard against not least because it can happen unwittingly through ignorance or through prejudice.

He added that the Crown Office's internal inquiry had already shown such a problem in the failure to communicate properly with the Chhokar family during investigations into the murder.

He told the programme: "Nobody thought to inquire what language they would understand when sending them letters.

"The fact that it didn't happen, the fact there was that thoughtlessness, that unwitting prejudice, fits the definition of institutionalised racism and we have to get away from that.

"We have to get a culture where that doesn't happen either unwittingly or through thoughtlessness."

Mr Chhokar: Stabbed through the heart

Mr Chhokar's family are fighting for a public inquiry into the handling of the case by police and the Crown Office after three men were cleared of his murder in two separate trials.

Mr Wallace has instead set up two separate inquiries to handle it.

A judicial probe, to be chaired by Northern Ireland Court of Appeal judge Sir Anthony Campbell, will concentrate on the prosecution and the decisions made in the run-up to the unsuccessful trials.

The other inquiry, chaired by advocate Dr Raj Jandoo, will focus on how prosecutors liaised with the family.

Mr Wallace said he expected both inquiries to be thorough but, if people were still not satisfied, he would be prepared to consider a further probe.

'Robust' inquiry

He also rejected newspaper reports which raised concerns about Dr Jandoo's links to the Labour party amid claims he has political ambitions.

Mr Wallace said: "There is no evidence that he is going to suck up to the executive in any way.

"I have no doubt he will want to pursue his remit very vigorously and will produce a robust report."

Roseanna Cunningham: Public inquiry call

Speaking on the same programme, Scottish National Party justice spokeswoman Roseanna Cunningham said that, while she welcomed the two inquiries, she was worried they would not go far enough and would not alleviate all concerns.

She said: "My view is that it's as little as they could get away with."

She said the executive should instead be doing "the most it could do" and repeated her call for a full public inquiry.

Mr Chhokar, 32, died from a stab wound after being attacked outside his girlfriend's house in Overtown, Lanarkshire, on 4 November 1998.

Last year, 32-year-old Ronnie Coulter, from Wishaw, was cleared of his murder.

David Montgomery, 23, and Andrew Coulter, 19, were found not guilty of murder by a jury last week.

All three men admitted being at the scene, but in separate trials Ronnie Coulter blamed his nephew Andrew Coulter and Mr Montgomery for the killing.

They in turn blamed him.