Chris Kaba inquest: Met opposes reopening as family seeks wider answers

The Metropolitan Police has asked a coroner not to resume the inquest into Chris Kaba’s death, while lawyers for his family argue that a fuller examination is still needed. The competing positions were presented at Southwark Coroner’s Court on 1 October.

Why police oppose another hearing

The Met says the criminal trial and the police watchdog’s investigation have already established who died, when, where and how. It points to the officer’s acquittal and the subsequent decision against a gross misconduct hearing, arguing that reopening the process would duplicate scrutiny already completed.

The family’s case

According to ITV’s account of the hearing, the family’s barrister Matthew Ryder KC said an inquest could examine broader factual questions and identify lessons. He argued that a criminal trial did not replace that process. Kaba, 24, was shot in Streatham in September 2022; Sergeant Martyn Blake was acquitted of murder in October 2024.

A submission, not a ruling

The Met’s statement says the coroner will decide whether to resume the inquest after considering the parties’ submissions. Its request should not be confused with a judicial decision to end the proceedings.