Friday, September 18, 2009

Lockerbie : Al Megrahi publishes appeal documents online

Megrahi siteAbdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi – My Story. A website set up for Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, the man convicted of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988, and recently released on compassionate grounds by the SNP controlled Scottish Government, has now published documents relating to his appeal, which it increasingly looks like no one in the Scottish justice system wanted to hear due to what would be uncovered.

The website can be found here : Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi – My Story

BBC News reports :

Bomber publishes appeal documents

The Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing has published documents on the internet which he claims will prove his innocence.

Hundreds of pages relating to the appeal by Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi were put on a new website.

Megrahi, who has terminal prostate cancer, was freed on compassionate grounds last month.

Before his release, he dropped his second appeal against conviction for killing 270 people in 1988.

His Scottish lawyers, Taylor and Kelly, said the documents published on the website related to that appeal.

In a statement, Megrahi said: "I have returned to Tripoli with my unjust conviction still in place.

"As a result of the abandonment of my appeal, I have been deprived of the opportunity to clear my name through the formal appeal process.

"I have vowed to continue my attempts to clear my name."

Megrahi was jailed in 2001 after being convicted by a Scottish Court in the Netherlands of the UK's worst terrorist atrocity.

A first appeal against that conviction failed and he dropped a second appeal last month.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Legal Aid Board Chief Douglas Haggarty escapes prosecution over Glasgow rent boy toilet incident

Law Chief held with rent boy - Sunday Mail 3 May 2009 eSenior SLAB lawyer Douglas Haggarty, charged with offence involving teenage male prostitute. After being charged over an incident involving an alleged encounter with a ‘rent boy’ (young male prostitute) in a Glasgow shopping centre toilet, Douglas Haggarty, the Legal Services Chief at the Scottish Legal Aid Board has been rescued by Tory Lord Advocate hopeful Paul McBride QC, and will now not face a court. having been dealt with by a ‘direct penalty’, although strangely enough, the Crown Office are rather reluctant to admit what penalty has been imposed.

Allegations of a ‘rent boy justice system’ persist …

Lawyer cleared in rent boy quiz - Daily Record 15 08  2009LAWYER CLEARED IN RENT BOY QUIZ

Aid chief keeps job Daily Record 15/08/2009
By Paul Thornton

A LEGAL Aid boss, who was arrested in a toilet with a rent boy, has kept his job and won't be struck off as a lawyer.

Douglas Haggarty, 58, was found with the teenager by security guards in British Home Stores in the St Enoch Centre, Glasgow, in January.

The head of legal services at the Scottish Legal Aid Board, where his duties include lecturing lawyers on their conduct, was charged with soliciting in a public place.

But his lawyer, Paul McBride, QC, claimed there was not enough evidence and charges were dropped.

The Crown Office said Haggarty had been dealt with by a direct measure but would not say whether it was a warning letter, fine or other penalty.

Now the Law Society of Scotland have revealed he will face no professional sanctions.

The high-flying lawyer, who lives in Glasgow's Merchant City, went off sick from work after the incident but is understood to have been back for several months.

A Law Society spokesman said: "The society's client care committee took account of the fiscal's decision and reasons for it."

A SLAB spokesman said: "It would be inappropriate for the board to comment on a matter personal to a member of staff."

Charges against the teenager were also dropped.