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to be innocent. My concern is that on the evidence led at Zeist, he ought never to have been convicted." Despite widespread concerns about the potential for pre-trial publicity prejudicing a jury, Black now believes the accused may have fared better under the conventional procedure than in the non-jury trial that he formulated. Black says: "If they had been tried by an ordinary
Scottish jury of 15, who were given standard instructions about how they must approach the evidence, standard instructions about reasonable doubt and what must happen if there is a reasonable doubt about the evidence, no Scottish jury could have convicted Megrahi on the evidence led at the trial."
258:
In 2005 Black took "semi retired" status, before retiring altogether in 2006. He asserts that he is one of a dying breed of legal academics: "Most academic lawyers, years ago, were like me – they had come up through the ranks of the practising profession. That's unusual these days. In many cases they
248:
Megrahi could go home if his appeal succeeds or if a fair appeal cannot be achieved. I am not convinced there is the political will to have the case reinvestigated, however, but one of the things we have been trying to do is to insert some backbone into those politicians who have the power to make it
140:
was convicted of the murder of 259 passengers and crew of the aircraft, and of 11 people in the town of
Lockerbie. Black reacted to the unanimous verdict of the three judges: "I thought this was a very, very weak circumstantial case. I am absolutely astounded, astonished. I was extremely reluctant to
200:
Black feels partially to blame for
Megrahi's situation: "I feel a measure of responsibility for having suggested this form of procedure and having played a part in persuading the Libyans to agree to it. And then this happens. My concern is not about his guilt or innocence, although I do believe him
196:
on 1 November 2005 Black said
Megrahi's conviction was "the most disgraceful miscarriage of justice in Scotland for 100 years." He vowed to continue his fight to have the case brought back to the appeal courts. "I have written about this and nobody is interested," Black said. "Every lawyer who has
76:
In
January 1981, he was appointed to the Chair in Scots Law at Edinburgh, until he took semi-retired status as Emeritus Professor in 2005. Thereafter he continued part-time, teaching the Scots Law of Evidence. Between 1983 and 1999 he served as Head of the Department of Scots (later Private) Law.
22:
220:
After a delay of over 18 months, it was announced in
January 2009 that the second appeal is scheduled to start on 27 April 2009 and that the hearing could last as long as 12 months because of the complexity of the case and volume of material to be examined.
93:. Over the years he has acted as the Law Society of Scotland's examiner in Evidence; as the examiner in Civil and Criminal Procedure and Pleading, for solicitors seeking extended rights of audience; and, as the Faculty of Advocates' examiner in Private Law.
182:
of 23 October 2005, Black described the alleged remarks as "an indication that various people who have been involved in the
Lockerbie prosecution are now positioning themselves in anticipation of the SCCRC holding that there was a prima facie
69:. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh with First Class Honours in Law in 1968 and was awarded the Lord President Cooper Memorial Prize as the most distinguished graduate in that year. Thereafter he studied at
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163:"As a result of today's meeting, I am satisfied that not only was there a wrongful conviction, but the victim of it was an innocent man. Lawyers, and I hope others, will appreciate this distinction."
421:
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believe that any
Scottish judge would convict anyone, even a Libyan, on the basis of such evidence." He warned that Megrahi stood a better-than-average chance of being acquitted on appeal.
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121:, Scotland. He has published a substantial number of articles on the topic in the United Kingdom and overseas. Black is often referred to as the architect of holding the non-jury
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However, Megrahi's appeal against conviction was rejected on 14 March 2002. His lawyers applied in
September 2003 to the
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105:(25 volumes) from 1987 to 1996. He has made extensive contributions to books and to numerous legal journal articles.
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Black spends six months of the year at his second home near a remote village in the
Northern Cape of South Africa.
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In February 2009, Black proposed a number of Scots law changes so as to expedite the Lockerbie appeal verdict.
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In September 2008, following a meeting organised by the Lockerbie Justice Group at Greshornish House on the
197:... read the judgment says 'this is nonsense'. It is nonsense. It really distresses me; I won't let it go."
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53:. He has been an Advocate in Scotland since 1972, was in practice at the Bar and became a QC in 1987.
148:(SCCRC), but he dropped his appeal in August 2009 and, because of terminal cancer, was released from
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announced that it had concluded its review and had referred Megrahi's case back to the
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to visit him in prison. Black reported on this first meeting with Megrahi, as follows:
81:(the Scottish Bar). In 2006–7 academic session Black retired from university teaching.
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422:"Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al Megrahi released from jail on compassionate grounds"
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bombing of 21 December 1988, particularly because he was born and brought up in
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Responding to remarks alleged to have been made by former Lord Advocate,
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have never advised a human being with a legal problem in their lives."
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in Montreal on a Commonwealth Scholarship graduating LL.M. in 1970.
176:, critical of main prosecution witness Tony Gauci, and reported in
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on compassionate grounds and returned to Libya on 20 August 2009.
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Black has taken a close personal and professional interest in the
633:
Professor Black's page at the Law School, University of Edinburgh
572:"Expert devises changes in law to speed Lockerbie appeal verdict"
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From 1984 to 2003 he was a member of every Dean's Council of the
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604:"Legal experts call for new public inquiry on Lockerbie bomb"
332:"Biography on the Edinburgh University School of Law website"
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403:
Pressure grows for explanation in Lockerbie witness dispute
473:"Architect of Lockerbie trial vows to fight for an appeal"
272:
Alternative theories into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
489:
Severin Carrell, Scotland correspondent (29 June 2007).
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At the end of the nine-month trial, on 31 January 2001,
357:
Black's home page at Edinburgh University's Law School
377:"Architect of Lockerbie trial attacks guilty verdict"
491:"Libyan jailed over Lockerbie wins right to appeal"
539:"Secret talks on deal to return Megrahi to Libya"
103:The Laws of Scotland: Stair Memorial Encyclopedia
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292:Hans Köchler's Lockerbie trial observer mission
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334:. Law.ed.ac.uk. 13 June 2001. Archived from
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89:From 1981 to 1994 he served as a temporary
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663:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
240:called for a new public inquiry into the
187:and sending it back for a fresh appeal."
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155:On 1 November 2007, Black was invited by
146:Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
653:Academics of the University of Edinburgh
217:for a second appeal against conviction.
20:
673:McGill University Faculty of Law alumni
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658:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
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312:University of Edinburgh School of Law
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678:Members of the Faculty of Advocates
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449:Robert Black (1 November 2007).
375:Booth, Jenny (4 February 2001).
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123:Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial
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570:Lucy Adams (5 February 2009).
537:Lucy Adams (15 January 2009).
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638:Robert Black's Lockerbie blog
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302:Professor Sir Neil MacCormick
61:Robert Black was educated at
453:. Lockerbiecase.blogspot.com
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287:Professor George Gretton WS
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254:Part-time in South Africa
101:He was General Editor of
45:is Professor Emeritus of
297:Professor Gerry Maher QC
215:Court of Criminal Appeal
174:Lord Fraser of Carmyllie
125:at the neutral venue of
698:Scottish legal scholars
693:Scottish King's Counsel
362:13 January 2006 at the
228:Call for public inquiry
205:Megrahi's second appeal
133:to the Lockerbie case.
127:Camp Zeist, Netherlands
51:University of Edinburgh
688:Scottish male bloggers
408:29 August 2008 at the
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238:Professor Hans Köchler
185:miscarriage of justice
168:Miscarriage of justice
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25:Professor Robert Black
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209:On 28 June 2007, the
190:In an interview with
138:Abdelbaset al-Megrahi
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282:Sir Gerald Gordon QC
277:Jean-Louis Bruguière
79:Faculty of Advocates
610:. 17 September 2008
584:on 11 February 2009
382:The Daily Telegraph
551:on 29 January 2009
522:has generic name (
479:, 1 November 2005.
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683:Pan Am Flight 103
471:Jennifer Veitch,
242:Lockerbie bombing
115:Pan Am Flight 103
109:Lockerbie bombing
71:McGill University
63:Lockerbie Academy
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614:17 September
612:. Retrieved
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586:. Retrieved
582:the original
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500:. Retrieved
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455:. Retrieved
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432:. Retrieved
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386:. Retrieved
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340:. Retrieved
336:the original
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236:, Black and
234:Isle of Skye
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193:The Scotsman
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97:Publications
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85:Appointments
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30:Robert Black
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307:Pierre Péan
647:Categories
588:6 February
555:15 January
318:References
512:cite news
434:21 August
131:Scots Law
119:Lockerbie
47:Scots Law
406:Archived
360:Archived
266:See also
57:Academia
249:happen.
157:Megrahi
91:sheriff
49:at the
502:16 May
457:16 May
388:16 May
342:16 May
211:SCCRC
40:
36:
616:2008
590:2009
557:2009
524:help
504:2011
459:2011
436:2009
390:2011
344:2011
65:and
42:FRSA
38:FRSE
649::
606:.
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510:{{
493:.
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34:KC
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