High Court to revisit death of David Kelly

[Magda Hassan]

High Court to revisit death of David Kelly

Bad news for Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell. The Londoner learns that the death of Dr David Kelly will be examined at the High Court next month after a senior judge ordered a special hearing as part of his review of the case. A source tells me that Mr Justice Kenneth Parker, who is considering an application challenging the Government's recent decision not to have a coroner's inquest into Dr Kelly's death, has requested the session in open court on December 19. This could eventually help secure an inquest which, uniquely in modern English law following a suspicious death, there has never been. It will be the first time that issues about Dr Kelly, the Hutton Inquiry and the suggestion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction will have been tackled in court as opposed to at a public inquiry. My source says Lord Falconer, Blair's chief legal adviser on the Kelly affair, is in line for a verbal thrashing. Reaching this stage is largely down to the efforts of David Halpin, a retired surgeon from Devon, who has never believed the official line that Dr Kelly killed himself in 2003. Two months ago he sought permission to judicially review the Government and it is his written submission that Mr Justice Parker is considering. More than 800 donors have contributed over £40,000 to cover Halpin's lawyers' fees. He is the sole claimant in the action.His barrister, John Cooper QC, tells me: "My client has said for many years that on the available evidence Dr Kelly did not commit suicide. He welcomes this first chance since Dr Kelly's death to put before a court the kernel of his case."




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