Moves to unlock sensitive files relating to an abandoned appeal by the Lockerbie bomber have taken a step forward.
Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi dropped his appeal against conviction shortly after the Scottish Government announced he was to be released to return to Libya on compassionate grounds in 2009.
It was claimed at the time that the dropping of the appeal was made a condition of his release in order to spare any damage to the reputation of the Scottish justice system. The Government has always denied the allegation.
Megrahi who was convicted of killing 270 people when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over the town of Lockerbie on December 21 1988 has claimed his innocence in a recent interview which, he said, would be the last before his death.
The Scottish Government is keen to publish the files relating to Megrahi’s abandoned appeal to end speculation that they could cast doubt on the original conviction and damage the Scottish legal system.
In a significant move, the UK Government has said it is prepared to work with the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) on the process of removing the obstacles that bar publication of the files.
Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill wrote to the UK Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke earlier this month to ask the UK Government to remove obstacles presented by the Data Protection Act 1998, which is reserved to the UK Parliament, to enable a Scottish Government bill to be put forward.
Mr Clarke has replied to say he is happy for his officials to discuss the matter directly with the SCCRC to find out more about the barriers to publication of its Statement of Reasons in the case of Mr Megrahi.
Welcoming the development, Mr MacAskill said: ”I welcome this willingness from Kenneth Clarke and the UK Government to engage with the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission on this important issue.
”We in the Scottish Government have always made it clear that we want to be as open as possible when it comes to publishing information relating to the Lockerbie atrocity.
”This is a welcome step forward that we have sought for some time in the process of removing the obstacles that bar publication by the SCCRC of its Statement of Reasons in the case of Mr Megrahi.
”We will be following the outcome of discussions between UK Government and the SCCRC very closely and will review the necessary steps forward.”
The Scottish Government has brought forward a Criminal Cases (Punishment & Review) (Scotland) Bill which, if passed by Holyrood, will give statutory authority to the SCCRC to decide whether it is appropriate to publish a Statement of Reasons in cases it has investigated where an appeal has subsequently been abandoned.
Photo by PA Wire