Wednesday 29 February 2012

Lockerbie Tests the Scottish Government


The mace in the Scottish Parliament is inscribed with the four words `Wisdom, Justice, Compassion, Integrity'. Sadly none of these most worthy aspirations has been conspicuous in the Scottish Government's inaction over  the Lockerbie problem.

Where is the wisdom in simply refusing to acknowledge the body of evidence suggesting the Megrahi conviction may have been unsafe? How is justice for the victims served by failing to pursue the truth? Where is the compassion for the bereaved relatives? And if there is fear of reputational damage to the Scottish justice system , would it not show more integrity to have the courage to face this possibility honestly and then, if necessary, put it right?

Arguably, Lockerbie is the litmus test of whether this government has the character the Scottish people aspire to in the four words on the mace. With the world watching, it may also be the test that determines whether Scotland has the confidence to stand proud as an independent nation.

2 comments:

Robert Black said...

Beautifully put! My blog, The Lockerbie Case, has shamelessly copied.

uruisg said...

Thanks Robert for your appreciation, and for the introduction to your own excellent blog, which readers can find at http://lockerbiecase.blogspot.com/