Lockerbie: High Court allows Megrahi appeal to be abandoned

The BBC reports that the High Court has allowed Abdelbaset al-Megrahi to abandon his appeal against conviction for the bombing of PanAm flight 103 over Lockerbie in December 1988.  See also Robert Black's Lockerbie Case blog.

The court was given details of Megrahi's current state of health: "the prognosis is extremely limited".  The Crown's position continued to be of support for the conviction.

The report notes that the court also urged the Lord Advocate to consider without delay the continuation of her appeal against the length of Megrahi's sentence.

The Crown Office issued the following statement at lunchtime:

"The Crown's appeal against sentence is an entirely separate process from Mr Megrahi's appeals against conviction and sentence which have now been abandoned.

"As Crown Counsel outlined at today's hearing, the Lord Advocate has no part in the Scottish Government's consideration of prisoner transfer or compassionate release of Mr Megrahi. This reflects the Lord Advocate's position as the independent prosecutor.

"The Lord Advocate has not received any request from the Scottish Government to intimate whether the Crown's appeal against sentence will continue.

"Furthermore, the Lord Advocate has not received any information on Mr Megrahi's current medical condition that she would require to take into account in order to make such a decision. The Lord Advocate has always been prepared to give any request her full and prompt consideration."