Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Gagging order on David Kelly records could be lifted

Lord Hutton has responded to reports that a 70-year gagging order he imposed on records and photos relating to the death of the government scientist Dr David Kelly could be challenged by stating that the documents could be revealed to doctors.

In a U-turn, Hutton said the information could be released to five doctors who are seeking to reopen the inquest into Kelly's death.

"I requested that the postmortem report should not be disclosed for 70 years as I was concerned that the publication of that report would cause [Kelly's] daughters and his wife further and unnecessary distress," Hutton said.

"I consider that the disclosure of the report to doctors and their legal advisers for the purposes of legal proceedings would not undermine the protection which I wished to give."

Kelly's body was found in woods close to his Oxfordshire home in 2003, shortly after it was revealed that he was the source of a BBC report casting doubt on the government's claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction that could be fired within 45 minutes. An inquest was suspended by Lord Falconer, then lord chancellor, before the Hutton inquiry, and then not resumed after Hutton's report in 2004 concluded that Kelly killed himself by cutting an artery in his wrist.

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