Campaigners present ‘unanswerable’ case for full Kelly inquest
By Peter Wozniak
A group of five doctors have called on the attorney general to grant an inquest into the death of Dr David Kelly, insisting the official report was “insufficient”.
The government’s chief lawyer Dominic Grieve is expected to reveal in the new year whether he will grant the inquest, which would see the questions over the controversial case raised to the fore.
Dr Michael Powers, speaking for the campaigners, said their legal submission to Mr Grieve was “unanswerable”.
He added: “Although the senior government law officer, it is hoped and expected that Dominic Grieve will put aside political considerations in reaching his decision on the law.
“The circumstances of Dr Kelly’s death merit a detailed examination of all the evidence in a coroner’s court. Many questions have been asked which demand proper answers.
“It is in the public interest that confidence is maintained in the due process of law.”
Dr Kelly, who was revealed as the source for a story on the ‘sexed up’ dossier used as justification for the invasion of Iraq, was found dead near his home in Oxfordshire in 2003.
The informal inquiry by Lord Hutton in 2004 found that Dr Kelly had committed suicide, while the pathologist’s report published earlier this year concluded the death was caused by “self-inflicted” injury.
But the five doctors insist a full inquest is required to clarify certain issues surrounding the death – including how Dr Kelly obtained coproxamol painkillers found in his stomach and why there were no fingerprints found on the knife which was used to slit his wrist.
Dr Powers added of their submission to Mr Grieve: “This legal document sets out details of the insufficiency and irregularities of Lord Hutton’s informal inquiry which, in our opinion, make the argument for a proper inquest unanswerable.”
