Judge finds Met guilty of racism because black officers are more likely to have promotions cancelled

By ANDY DOLAN, GENERAL REPORTER Published: 12:45, 28 July 2026 | Updated: 12:45, 28 July 2026 The Metropolitan Police has been found guilty of indirect race discrimination by a tribunal because black officers are more likely to have promotions cancelled. Black officers in the Met are at a 'particular disadvantage' compared to their white counterparts because the force's policy of automatically pausing and in some cases rescinding promotions for officers facing misconduct accusations disproportionately affects them. As found in the damning Baroness Casey review in March 2023, black officers are 81 per cent more likely to be in the misconduct system than white officers. Now, Employment Judge Lisa Wilson has ruled that the Met's policy of automatically stopping promotions for officers in the misconduct system is racist because it will 'inevitably bear more heavily' on black officers. Sitting at Watford Employment Tribunal, Judge Wilson said it will have huge impacts on black officers as they are more likely to face reputational and professional consequences even if they are cleared of misconduct. The ruling was made in the case of a black sergeant who is now in line for compensation after winning a claim of indirect race discrimination after 'falling under suspicion for committing a fraud, of which she was herself the victim'. Sgt Caroline Nku had her promotion paused then rescinded when she faced misconduct allegations she was eventually cleared of. Sgt Nku had her promotion paused after having her WhatsApp hacked, which led to her being investigated for gross misconduct because it was believed she had committed fraud. Watford Employment Tribunal found the Met left black officers at a  disadvantage when compared with persons who are not black The tribunal heard her promotion was rescinded and she had to return to her role as a Police Constable at Islington Police Station. The tribunal heard Cameroon-born Sgt Nku joined the Met Police in 2007 and passed her Sergeants qualification but was working with the Safer Transport Team at Islington Police Station still as a PC. She was moved early to Shoreditch Police Station on attachment in November 2023, where she was due to take up her role as a Sergeant. But, Sgt Nku's WhatsApp account was hacked in September 2023 by a fraudster, who sent out a plea for money to other colleagues. The tribunal was told one colleague attempted to transfer £150 to the fraudster but the money was returned by his bank, while a second reported the request to her line manager, Inspector Mark Ridgers, who told her to collate information about the request. It then emerged that other colleagues had been 'scammed' by Sgt Nku's phone number and Insp Ridgers said that he did not think two people could be logged into the same WhatsApp account, so he was beginning to 'doubt' that it was a scam. Insp Ridgers escalated the issue to the Professional Standards Unit, which carried out further investigations in regard to the allegations of fraud. It was brought to the attention of human resources in December 2023 that Sgt Nku was under a misconduct investigation and they decided to rescind her promotion. It said that 'officers can't be promoted if they are under investigation' and Sgt Nku was returned to her original PC role in Islington, having been posted early to her new role. In January 2024, Sgt Nku was put in front of a promotion review panel, but they decided that her promotion had to be kept on hold until the misconduct investigation had closed. Sgt Nku unsuccessfully appealed the decision, but after the misconduct hearing found there was no case to answer, she was finally promoted. Employment Judge Lisa Wilson said the panel was satisfied that the Met had applied the following provision, criterion and/or practice (PCP): 'Promotions cannot take place if officers are under investigation (for gross misconduct)' as asserted by Sgt Nku. She ruled that not allowing officers to be promoted when they are under investigation without taking into account any mitigation or personal circumstances is indirect discrimination. She said this 'default position' was 'inconsistent with the Police Promotion Standard Operating Procedure and the National Police Promotion Framework, both of which expressly require an assessment of the particular circumstances of the case'. Judge Wilson said the tribunal was satisfied the application of the PCP 'put black officers at a particular disadvantage when compared with persons who are not black.' She added: 'It is not in dispute that black officers are 81 per cent more likely to be in the misconduct system than white counterparts, as detailed in the Casey Review and acknowledged by DAC Cundy (who addressed Sgt Nku's appeal of the Promotion Review Panel). 'We are satisfied from this evidence that black officers were therefore put at a particular disadvantage to white officers; because of overrepresentation in the misconduct system from the point of entry onwards, they were more likely to have their promotion paused or rescinded.' The tribunal ruled the PCP was 'not a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim' in maintaining public confidence in policing. The judge was not satisfied that the Met 'demonstrated that the PCP struck a fair balance between (its) needs…and the discriminatory impact on black officers', including Sgt Nku. She added: 'The impact on (Sgt Nku) was significant and immediate, resulting in the rescission of her promotion, removal from her role, and reputational and professional consequences.' Sgt Nku will receive compensation after a remedy hearing. Her complaints of direct race and sex discrimination and indirect sex discrimination were dismissed.