The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Bomber appeal showed justice at ‘most effective’
Cabinet praises handling of Megrahi’s 2002 appeal
Cabinet members praised the handling of the original appeal into the conviction of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset alMegrahi for showing Scotland’s justice system “at its most professional and effective”, official papers reveal.
Scottish Executive papers from 2002 released by the National Records of Scotland record the discussion of the Cabinet meeting on March 13 that year after Megrahi lost his appeal against his 2001 conviction for the 1988 bombing that killed 270 people.
The Cabinet noted its appreciation for the work of the Crown Office and procurator fiscal service.
The notes continue: “The way the appeal had been handled had shown the Scottish criminal justice system at its most professional and effective and was a credit to all concerned.”
Holyrood is currently considering a petition for an independent inquiry into Megrahi’s conviction from Justice for Megrahi campaigners.
The petition is being kept under consideration pending the completion of a Police Scotland operation investigating nine allegations of criminality levelled by Justice for Megrahi at the Crown Office, police and forensic officials involved in the investigation and legal processes relating to Megrahi’s conviction.
Megrahi was jailed for 27 years but was released on compassionate grounds in 2009 and died of prostate cancer aged 60 three years later.
Five years after he lost his 2002 appeal, the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission recommended in 2007 he should be granted a second appeal.
He dropped the second attempt to overturn his conviction in 2009, ahead of his return to Libya, but his widow Aisha and son Ali lodged a new bid to appeal his conviction last July.