MacAskill faces MSPs over Lockerbie

Aug 24 2009

The Scottish Justice Secretary is to face his peers to defend the controversial decision to free the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing.

Kenny MacAskill can expect fierce criticism from his political opponents when the Scottish Parliament reconvenes one week early.

He decided on Thursday to grant the compassionate release of Abdelbaset Ali Al Megrahi, the terminally-ill Libyan who had served eight years of a life sentence for the 1988 terror attack which killed 270 people.

In the days following the decision, the Scottish Government and legal system have faced intense international scrutiny.

FBI director Robert Mueller spelled out his dismay in a letter to Mr MacAskill which accused him of giving comfort to terrorists around the world.

Former First Minister Jack McConnell, now a Labour backbencher at Holyrood, publicly criticised the decision, which he said damaged the country.

But First Minister Alex Salmond has rigorously defended his Justice Secretary for making the "right decision" for the "right reasons".

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott MSP first called for a recall of Parliament last week.

He said: "Parliament must be the final check and balance to the Government's unbridled power to make decisions that could damage the reputation of the nation we serve. The SNP Government's unilateral decision to release a convicted mass murderer has brought Scotland's standing in the world to an all-time low."

Mr Scott said he will call for a vote so the "voice of the Scottish Parliament" is heard across the world.