Cambridge appoints Jason Beer to review its handling of Jason Arday case

Cambridge has appointed Jason Beer KC, the lead barrister for the Post Office Horizon inquiry, to lead an independent review of the university’s handling of events involving academic Jason Arday. It will examine allegations of research and other misconduct, Arday’s recruitment and support, and whether Cambridge’s policies and decisions were reasonable and worked effectively.

Arday, Cambridge’s youngest-ever black professor, was 37 when appointed. He denied plagiarism allegations; after the university announced an investigation into his qualifications on 5 August, he resigned hours later and was found dead at his south London home nine days afterwards. Beer’s review is the second independent examination: a separate review led by former chief crown prosecutor Nazir Afzal is focused on the support Arday received shortly before his death.