HC Deb 14 May 2002 vol 385 c547W
38. Mr. Dalyell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the report commissioned by the UN Secretary General on the appeal proceedings at the Scottish Court in the Netherlands (Lockerbie Court) in the case of Abdelbaset Ali Mohammed al-Megrahiv. HM Advocate by Professor Hans Koechler, on the basis of Security Council resolution 1192/1998. [54407]

Mr. Bradshaw

The UN Secretary-General did not commission the report from Professor Koechler. Professor Koechler's report was written on behalf of the International Progress Organisation. His assertion that the Lockerbie appeal verdict was "not a victory for justice" impugns the Scottish legal system which gave al-Megrahi a trial that met the highest standards of fairness. The Lockerbie trial demonstrated the crucial role of the criminal justice system in responding to terrorism.

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