Metropolitan Police Chief Admits Failings in Jason Arday Plagiarism Investigation
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has conceded the force made errors in its handling of a complaint against a journalist. The journalist had been investigating allegations of plagiarism concerning Professor Jason Arday. Sir Mark stated the Met 'dropped the ball', specifically regarding the initial assessment of the complaint.
Professor Arday, who holds a chair in sociology at Cambridge University, faced accusations of reproducing content from Wikipedia and other sources in his doctoral thesis. The Met Police launched an investigation into the journalist under the Malicious Communications Act, seizing a computer and phones, and issuing a notice to attend an interview.
The force subsequently closed the investigation, concluding that no offence had been committed. Sir Mark's comments follow a letter from Michelle Donelan, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, to Home Secretary James Cleverly, expressing 'serious concern' about the police's actions. Donelan highlighted that the investigation appeared to be an 'attempt to silence a journalist' and could have a 'chilling effect' on press freedom.
The incident has drawn further scrutiny to the Met Police's operational independence and its handling of complaints that may impinge on journalistic inquiry.
