This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7671391.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Legal victory in Lockerbie appeal | Legal victory in Lockerbie appeal |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The Lockerbie bomber has won the latest round of his long-running legal battle to overturn his conviction. | The Lockerbie bomber has won the latest round of his long-running legal battle to overturn his conviction. |
| Appeal judges refused to put a limit on Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's list of objections to the trial which convicted him of Scotland's worst mass murder. | Appeal judges refused to put a limit on Abdelbaset al-Megrahi's list of objections to the trial which convicted him of Scotland's worst mass murder. |
| Al-Megrahi was convicted of the 1988 atrocity, which killed 270 people. | |
| The 56-year-old Libyan has already lost an appeal against his 2001 conviction but the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) ordered another. | The 56-year-old Libyan has already lost an appeal against his 2001 conviction but the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) ordered another. |
| In a 790-page report, the SCCRC had highlighted five reasons which led it to believe that Megrahi's conviction might be a miscarriage of justice. | In a 790-page report, the SCCRC had highlighted five reasons which led it to believe that Megrahi's conviction might be a miscarriage of justice. |
| But Scotland's top judge, Lord Hamilton, sitting with Lords Kingarth and Eassie, rejected arguments from the Crown that only the concerns voiced by the commission should be considered by the appeal court. | But Scotland's top judge, Lord Hamilton, sitting with Lords Kingarth and Eassie, rejected arguments from the Crown that only the concerns voiced by the commission should be considered by the appeal court. |
| COURT RULING Read a summary [28KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here | COURT RULING Read a summary [28KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here |
| Megrahi's legal team asked for its own grounds of appeal to be added and submitted its list, running to 317 pages. | Megrahi's legal team asked for its own grounds of appeal to be added and submitted its list, running to 317 pages. |
| Lord Hamilton ruled: "The appellant (Megrahi) is entitled to have his stated grounds of appeal decided on their respective merits." | Lord Hamilton ruled: "The appellant (Megrahi) is entitled to have his stated grounds of appeal decided on their respective merits." |
| The ruling, while it is a legal victory for Megrahi, is likely to make his complex appeal even more complicated and lengthy. | The ruling, while it is a legal victory for Megrahi, is likely to make his complex appeal even more complicated and lengthy. |
| The former Libyan secret service agent is serving a minimum sentence of 27 years for downing Pan Am flight 103. | The former Libyan secret service agent is serving a minimum sentence of 27 years for downing Pan Am flight 103. |
| No date has yet been fixed for a hearing which will finally decide whether or not the guilty verdict should stand. | No date has yet been fixed for a hearing which will finally decide whether or not the guilty verdict should stand. |