The Lord Advocate's latest ruminations on the Lockerbie tragedy produce neither heat nor light (Scotland's top law officer:
Megrahi WAS guilty of Lockerbie atrocity, and The four elephants in the room which suggest the Lord Advocate is wrong, News, December 21). His continuing faith in the verdict at Camp Zeist, under Scots law, is of no consequence. The fact remains that a trial without a jury is never a good idea, and even if one is present, with alleged perpetrators of acts of terrorism in the dock, justice often plays second fiddle to political expediency.
Frank Mulholland promises us, nevertheless, that "justice has no sell-by date in Scotland". His attempt earlier this year to arrange an interview between the Scottish police and Abdullah al-Senussi, long-serving Libyan intelligence chief and brother-in-law of Colonel Gaddafi, shows reasonable intent. Al-Senussi is also a possible Lockerbie suspect, and is currently in custody in Tripoli awaiting trial for the murder and torture of Libyan citizens.
Mulholland will make many enemies both at home and abroad, if his determination to secure justice for the families of the dead is indeed genuine. In doing so, he will most certainly have to jettison any understandable concern for the reputation of the Scottish justice system and, especially, its presumed independence. I wish him well.
Joan S Laverie
Edinburgh
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