|
|
|
McKie inquiry announced |
|
|
|
Friday, 14 March 2008 |
Senior Northern Irish Judge Lord Justice Campbell has been appointed by the Scottish Government to look into the Shirley McKie case.
Campbell has experience of conducting such inquiries into controversial Scottish cases, having led the inquiry into the prosecution of the three men accused of murdering Surjit Singh Chhokar in 1998.
McKie was a Strathclyde Police detective who was cleared after perjury after the then Scottish Criminal Records Office claimed to have found a fingerprint of hers at a murder scene in Kilmarnock in 1997. McKie subsequently accepted £750,000 from the Scottish Executive to drop her compensation claim.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill today said the Campbell inquiry would examine what steps were taken to identify and verify the fingerprints associated with, and leading up to, the case taken against McKie in 1999 and determine the consequences of the steps that were taken, and the potential implications of those that were not taken.
The decision fulfils an SNP election pledge. Lord Justice Campbell has been a Lord Justice of Appeal since 1998 and is due to retire in August this year when he will begin his duties in the McKie inquiry.
MacAskill said:
"For over a decade, the Shirley McKie case has cast a cloud of suspicion and uncertainty not just over the individuals involved but over the criminal justice system. Previous reviews have helped to shed some light on matters, but they have not fully explained the events. They have not entirely dispersed that cloud. Public concern remains. This is not an issue we can allow to wither on the vine - unless we are prepared to allow public confidence to wither with it. The purpose of the inquiry is not to try or retry any individual for the events of the past, nor to challenge the decisions of the prosecution, the defence or the courts in relation to any of those events. The purpose is to open up and understand those events and to learn from them to ensure that Scotland has a fully efficient, effective and robust approach to the identification, verification and presentation of fingerprint material.
“The inquiry will have at its disposal the full powers bestowed by the 2005 Act, including powers relating to access to documents and witnesses. For its part, the Scottish Government will volunteer any material that it holds and which might be useful to the inquiry. The Lord Advocate has also made clear that she will, exceptionally, make available to the inquiry any material that the Crown Office holds and which might be useful to the inquiry, including the Mackay report, Crown precognitions and reports by Crown Office officials. Additionally, if requested by the inquiry, Ministers and officials from both the Scottish Government and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will appear in person to provide an account of their knowledge of events. Nothing will be hidden from the inquiry.”
Commenting on his approach to the inquiry, Lord Justice Campbell said:
“The importance of this inquiry is evident to me. I know from my previous experience of conducting this type of work in Scotland that, by their very nature, inquiries tend to deal with issues that are difficult and sensitive. I intend that this inquiry will be both rigorous and fair in dealing with issues and individuals arising from the Shirley McKie case.
“The process of directing the planning and preparatory work that is necessary for an inquiry of this type will begin very shortly with the inquiry itself starting in September. Further announcements will be made by my inquiry team in due course.”
No one has commented on this article.
|
Site news...
Have your say: We have introduced a comments system in our news and magazine article sections, submit your comments for approval. Your comments will feature in the "Your comments" section.
|
|
|
Holyrood news 
