Paradoxical justice: the case of Ian Tomlinson

On 1 April 2009, 47-year-old London newspaper vendor lan Tomlinson collapsed and died during the G20 protests in central London. The initial autopsy found death consistent with "natural causes". However, that finding was disputed after the public release of mobile phone video footage showing a police officer striking and pushing Tomlinson to the ground. The release of this footage changed the course of events in the case: further post-mortem examinations found blunt force trauma to Tomlinson's body; the Independent Police Complaints Commission launched a criminal investigation; and a coronial inquest opened that was presided over by public order policing expert Judge Peter Thornton QC. On 3 May 2011, a coronial jury delivered a verdict of "unlawful killing", finding police actions against Tomlinson "excessive and unreasonable". The Crown Prosecution Service then revised its decision not to prosecute the officer filmed striking and pushing Tomlinson, and on 19 July 2012 the officer was acquitted of manslaughter. This case highlights a number of key issues discussed in this article, including the symbolic and practical importance of open inquests in allaying suspicion and rumour; the ordeal of death investigation proceedings as obstacles to justice; and the seeming contra-indications for justice thrown up by divergent legal outcomes. In high-profile matters such as the Tomlinson case, these issues are further underscored by the "new publicity" around inquests in a multi-media digital age.