When a (proper) coroner’s inquest is preferable to a public inquiry

20th August 2026 A short post in respect of the death of Jason Arday * This post is not about the alleged wrongs of the late Jason Arday, as the facts are not fully available; and this post is not about the circumstances of his death, again because the facts are not fully available. No opinion is expressed on either point, as I do not know enough to express an opinion. This post is instead about a specific issue: what would be the appropriate means of addressing the concerns that many have about the circumstances of his death. * Some are promoting the idea of a public inquiry. And there is something about the phrase “a judge-led public inquiry” that has a certain nod-along attraction. Such an inquiry sounds like a good thing in response to the demand that something must be done. The problem is that public inquiries are often not good things. Public inquiries are often the means by which “something must be done” ends up with nothing actually being done. As this blog has previously…