Letters
Reopen the inquest into Kelly's death
I am one of the three signatories to the letter of January 27 regarding the death of Dr David Kelly, and I and my fellow signatories have yet to be seriously challenged. Further, the number of doctors (and lawyers and concerned citizens) supporting our view that Dr Kelly's death should be properly investigated continues to grow.
Two weeks ago, the Mail on Sunday reported that the coroner, Nicholas Gardiner, told that newspaper that he wished to achieve "closure" at the hearing scheduled to take place on Tuesday. The hearing is to decide whether the inquest should be reopened.
The MoS also claimed that Gardiner did not at that time see any "exceptional reason" for reopening his inquest.
The coroner has decided that we are not "properly interested persons" at the coming hearing, when it seems to be the case that a "properly interested person" is anyone who the coroner decides is "properly interested". We (doctors and lawyers) have written a final submission to the coroner that our doubts about Lord Hutton's verdict do constitute an "exceptional reason" for his re-opening the inquest.
Last Tuesday, Channel 4 News showed a special report about the debate which has arisen following our letters to the Guardian. Even our opponents, Professors Milroy and Forrest, a forensic pathologist and a forensic toxicologist, respectively, agreed that a full inquest should be re-convened, so that these reservations which many people have could be explored in the proper manner.
Crucially, Dr Nicholas Hunt, the forensic pathologist who gave evidence to the Hutton inquiry, and on whose evidence the suicide verdict was overwhelmingly based, was also shown on the report to have telephoned Channel 4 that day to say that he too thought that a full inquest should be reconvened.
Unlike Hutton, the coroner would hear evidence under oath, have the power to subpoena witnesses and have them rigorously cross-examined. The coroner, again unlike Hutton, would also have the power to call a jury.
Dr C Stephen Frost
Specialist in diagnostic radiology
Specialist in diagnostic radiology
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