A coroner has formally opened an inquest into the death of Jason Arday, the former Cambridge professor who resigned amid plagiarism allegations - because nothing says 'due process' like a posthumous investigation.

Arday, 41, died at his home in Battersea, south London on 14 August, a mere nine days after his resignation. Family members watched the 10-minute hearing at London inner south coroner’s court via video link, presumably from a safe distance away from the media circus.

Senior coroner Dr Julian Morris delivered the grim details: 'London ambulance service and the Met police attended the home address after he’d been found unresponsive by returning family members. Sadly, despite resuscitative efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Met police confirmed that the scene was not suspicious.'

Morris, ever the pragmatist, announced he would launch an investigation into Arday’s death and adjourned the inquest until an unspecified later date. He also took a moment to implore the media to be 'mindful of your reporting' and to have regard for Arday’s family and the public - a request that would be funny if it weren't so tragically necessary.

The case has sparked an intense debate over media handling of the allegations against Arday. His family and supporters have been highly critical of the coverage; others, presumably those who enjoy watching reputations crumble in real time, defended it. In his resignation statement, Arday cited the 'relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary' as taking 'a profound toll on me and on those I love.'

Arday was appointed professor of sociology of education at Cambridge in 2023, becoming the university’s youngest-ever black professor. His backstory was inspirational: nonverbal until age 11, requiring extensive speech and language therapy, and illiterate until 18. Those achievements were overshadowed by accusations of plagiarism and inconsistencies in statements about his career.

He faced initial accusations of plagiarising another academic’s work for his PhD thesis. He denied them, and an investigation by Liverpool John Moores University earlier this year upheld its decision to award him the degree - which raises the question: if he was cleared, why did the allegations persist?

In a statement, Arday’s family condemned what they called a 'campaign of misinformation' and described him as an 'amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son.' They added, with understandable exasperation: 'We won’t comment further at this point beyond asking the press to leave us alone now, and to stop the campaign of harassment which has been waged against Jason and his family for too long.'

One can only hope the media heeds that request, though the inquest's adjournment suggests the story is far from over.