Lockerbie judges 'must not rush'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/8059193.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Judges hearing the appeal of the Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing have said they "must not rush" to a ruling.

Three weeks of legal debate at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh came to an end on Tuesday.

Lawyers for Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi have argued that there was insufficient evidence in law to jail him but the Crown says the conviction should stand.

Lord Justice General Lord Hamilton said a judgement could not be hurried despite Megrahi's poor health.

At the start of the 57-year-old's appeal hearing he was monitoring proceedings via CCTV at Greenock Prison.

'State of health'

Defence QC Maggie Scott later told the court that the Libyan - who has prostate cancer - was too ill to continue using the video link.

During the appeal it was also announced that the Libyan government had asked for Megrahi to be sent home to finish his sentence under a prisoner transfer treaty.

However, no mention of this was made in court.

Five senior judges must now decide whether to give a ruling on the grounds of the appeal which have been advanced so far or move to a next round.

Lord Hamilton said: "We appreciate among other things the appellant's state of health.

"There will be concern that we deal with these matters as expeditiously as possible.

"But having regard to their importance to all concerned we cannot and must not rush to judgment."

A next court date has been pencilled in for early July.