The man convicted of blowing up the PanAm B747 passenger jet which crashed in the small Scottish town of Lockerbie in November 1988 may not live to see the conclusion of his appeal.
Abdelbasset Al-Megrahi is suffering from terminal prostate cancer and may not live long enough to have his appeal heard and a judgement given. The case has been delayed until at least September due to one of the Judges hearing his appeal, Lord Whealtey, having undergone heart surgery meaning his lordship is unable to undertake his judicial duties until at least the middle of September.
This is the latest twist to the Lockerbie appeal currently making its way through the Scottish legal system. There is much doubt in many people’s minds (including many of the victims’ families) as to whether Megrahi was actually responsible for the bombing of the PanAm flight over Lockerbie in 1998.
This is a very real problem. I am not commenting on Megrahi’s guilt or otherwise, but for the appeal of a dying man to be delayed is quite concerning. While it is unfortunate that Lord Wheatley has had to undergo heart surgery, such an important appeal should not be delayed, especially when such a delay may cause the appeal never to take place due to the death of the appellant from a known terminal illness.
prout de jure 