Is the insistence on the right to a fair trial absurd and illogical?
Scottish judiciary has to abide by the standards of the European Convention on Human Rights Statement by Dr. Hans Koechler Vienna, 3 July 2008 P/RE/20161c According to reports in the Scottish media, Crown counsel Ronnie Clancie QC has branded as “absurd” and “illogical” demands that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi’s appeal before the High Court of Justiciary shall not be restricted to the grounds of appeal given by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC). On 28 June 2007 the SCCRC had announced its decision to refer Mr. al Megrahi’s case back to the High Court of Justiciary for a new appeal. The Commission had given six reasons for its decision some of which it kept secret upon announcement. Obviously (and not only in view of its “secretive” nature), the list of grounds given by the SCCRC cannot be considered as an exhaustive enumeration of all possible grounds of appeal. The grounds given by the SCCRC are simply those that led that body to suspect a miscarriage of justi
