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Lockerbie bombing: Megrahi appeal bid allowed Lockerbie bombing: Megrahi appeal bid allowed
(32 minutes later)
A review has ruled the conviction of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi over the Lockerbie bombing which claimed 270 lives can be taken to a fresh appeal. The conviction of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi over the Lockerbie bombing can be taken to a fresh appeal, a new review has ruled.
The request for a posthumous appeal against the conviction was submitted by his family almost three years ago.The request for a posthumous appeal against the conviction was submitted by his family almost three years ago.
A total of 270 people died when Pan Am flight 103 exploded 31,000 ft above Dumfries and Galloway in December 1988.
The Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission (SCCRC) has referred the case to the High Court of Justiciary.The Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission (SCCRC) has referred the case to the High Court of Justiciary.
It said that Megrahi's family was now entitled to seek an appeal against his conviction for the 1988 bombing. It said that Megrahi's family was now entitled to seek an appeal against his conviction.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Megrahi died in 2012 but the appeal bid was lodged on behalf of his family and supported by relatives of some of those killed in the disaster.
The commission said it had considered six grounds of review and concluded that a miscarriage of justice may have occurred by reason of "unreasonable verdict" and "non-disclosure".
It has published further details of its findings on its website.
Bill Matthews, who chairs the commission, said it had carried out a "rigorous and independent" review of the conviction taking into account fresh information which had become available.
"As the chair of the SCCRC in 2007 said when the case was originally referred, our function is not to decide upon the guilt or innocence of an applicant," he said.
"Our function is to examine the grounds of review identified and to decide whether any of the grounds meet the statutory test for a potential miscarriage."
How did we get here?
US and British investigators indicted Megrahi in 1991 but he was not handed over by the Libyans until April 1999.
May 2000 - A special trial under Scots law starts on neutral ground at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands.
31 January 2001 - Former Libyan intelligence officer Megrahi is found guilty of mass murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 27 years.
March 2002 - Megrahi loses an appeal against his conviction.
September 2003 - The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) is asked to investigate Megrahi's conviction.
June 2007 - The SCCRC recommends that Megrahi is granted a second appeal against his conviction.
18 August 2009 - Megrahi's move to drop his second appeal is accepted by judges at The High Court in Edinburgh.
20 August 2009 - Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer, is released from prison on compassionate grounds.
May 2012 - Megrahi dies at his home in Tripoli, aged 60.
July 2015 - Scottish judges rule that relatives of the Lockerbie bombing victims should not be allowed to pursue an appeal on Megrahi's behalf. Courts had previously ruled that only next of kin could proceed with a posthumous application.
July 2017 - Megrahi's family launched a new bid to appeal against his conviction.
Following the decision, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service released a short statement.
"It would not be appropriate to comment on matters which will be heard by the appeal court," it said.
The Justice for Megrahi campaign described the move as "very welcome".
It said concerns about the conviction had been "reinforced over the years as new information emerged".