23 july 2012, still waiting

Three months after the london riots of last year, justice was being efficiently and deservedly meted out to many rioters and looters; but the wheels seemed astoundingly slow for the potentially worse crime that sparked them off. Almost a year on, and we're still waiting to find out who killed mark duggan (26 november 2011). One verdict at least is in, on the death of ian tomlinson, a passer-by struck for no reason by a policeman managing crowds demonstrating against the g20 in 2009. He subsequently died, one of 1,433 people since 1990 who have either died in police custody in the UK or following other contact with the police. The policeman, simon harwood, was cleared of manslaughter last week. The jury, as is the system, was not aware he had been investigated a number of other times for alleged violence and misconduct. The responsible body (whose scrapping is yet again being called for) wasn't even going to investigate until a compelling video came to light. Meanwhile, there seems no timetable on the mark duggan case. Justice delayed is justice denied.