Fresh calls for Lockerbie public inquiry after leaked SCCRC report; Justice Sec Kenny MacAskill says no concerns about Crown Office, major blunder!

Dear All

When Al Megrahi was released, the Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill said he had no doubt about the conviction of the Lockerbie Bomber.

Several others had.

Justice is one of the weakest portfolios in the SNP Government, if a major mistake is going to happen, the first question isn't where, but what has gone wrong in justice this time.

Many people think the conviction of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi was unsafe and warranted a public inquiry.

It is a running sore that the SNP Government cannot close.

No justice means no independence and while questions remain about the integrity of Scottish justice, the independence referendum is already lost.

Autumn 2014 will probably not be an event that has historic significance unless the SNP fix many major problems in Scottish society.

So far, they don’t have the political will, the ideas, the vision or interest. The SNP is going on ‘intellectual lite’.

‘Intellectual lite’ isn’t going to win independence.

So, here is a new date for a referendum for Scottish independence autumn 2018.

Back to Megrahi, there are fresh calls for an inquiry into the Crown Office handling of the Lockerbie bombing trial.

The SNP make a major mistake in justice, several to be precise, they appointed Kenny MacAskill, when they found out he was capable, they kept him on and he prompted jumped into bed to be a Crown Office stooge.

In the SNP’s rush to be the ‘new establishment’, there wasn’t the appetite to run justice properly.

The job of the Justice Minister isn’t to be up the arse of the Crown Office, the role is to be impartial. To see that justice is protected not the Crown Office; somewhere along the line MacAskill confused the two.

After the shameful attempt to deny ordinary Scots justice and human rights, the Justice Minister reaffirmed his commitment to human rights.

This begs the question why was he trying to deny it in the first place?

Kenny MacAskill believes in human rights, I take that with a pinch of salt and the contempt it deserves.

Ironically First Minister Alex Salmond has praised the Sunday Herald for publishing the full 800-page report by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, on the heraldscotland.com website.

A report that they leaked in the public interest, with wasn’t obtained legally but leaked.

No one is coming after the Sunday Herald but rather they will get behind it because everyone wants to be seen as standing up for the principle of Scottish justice, even if they don’t.

The publication puts firmly the case for a new appeal in the name of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi.

This appeal is needed.

Gerard Sinclair, the SCCRC's chief executive, said:

"The commission has always been willing to allow for publication of the outcome of our inquiries into Mr Megrahi's conviction."

However, the Crown Office said some actions of those fighting to clear Megrahi were "to be deplored" while insisting they have "every confidence" of defending the conviction in the event of an appeal”.

Evidence was withheld and witnesses paid.

How in anyway is this acceptable to the Crown Office?

Alex Salmond said:

"I welcome the publication in full of this report, which is something the Scottish Government has been doing everything in our powers to facilitate."

Is that right Alex, you have been doing everything?

So, why did it have to be leaked?

The First Minister added:

"This report provides valuable information, from an independent body acting without fear or favour, and while we cannot expect it to resolve all the issues, it does however lay the basis for narrowing the areas of dispute and in many ways is far more comprehensive than any inquiry could ever hope to be."

Prejudging?

I think we can take that as a no to a public inquiry into the Crown Office and their staff, still protecting the establishment at the expense of the public.

Holyrood Justice Committee convener Christine Grahame said:

"There are allegations in the report that the Crown Office withheld crucial evidence that might have been substantive evidence to assist the defence. Where we have an allegation, I would wish the Crown to be able to establish that this is unfounded."

The reason the Labour Party is out on the street is that they operated in the same way as the SNP are doing. People got sick of them and turned on them, the SNP are heading in the same direction.

One day Alex Salmond will be leaving Bute House and he might find it will be a long time before the SNP set foot back in it as a Government.

It takes a pebble to start an avalanche and a drop of water to start a tsunami, the tipping point for the SNP is growing, and when the slide starts, no Alex Salmond for First Minister will stop it.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University