Lockerbie case interference claim

Megrahi is appealing against his conviction

The Westminster government has been accused of attempting to interfere with an appeal by the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing.

UK ministers object to the release of a document from a foreign power.

Scotland's senior prosecutor, the lord advocate, is happy for it to be seen by Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi's lawyers.

Megrahi's QC said the objections contravened the act which established devolution and guaranteed independence for the Scottish legal system.

However, the UK Government has argued that it is not in the public interest to release the document - which is thought to contain information about an electronic bomb timer.

Unknown contents

The Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh was told that Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini QC had agreed to hand over the material.

That has been opposed by Advocate General Lord Davidson QC - who represents the Westminster government in legal matters in Scotland.

Margaret Scott QC, leading Megrahi's defence team, said it appeared that the advocate general's intervention was preventing disclosure.

She said that amounted to "interference by the UK government" in the work of the lord advocate.

The case is being heard at the court of appeal in Edinburgh

The advocate general is trying to invoke "public interest immunity" to keep the document secret.

The item is believed to have played a significant part in the decision by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission to allow a second appeal.

Defence lawyers do not know what the document is - but insist it is vital they should examine it.

Solicitor Tony Kelly said that it was like fighting with one hand tied behind their backs and a cloak over their heads.

However Lord Davidson strongly denied the allegations of interference.

He accused Ms Scott of "flawed logic" and said her claim the role of the advocate general was to interfere in matters which should be left to the Scottish authorities was "wholly erroneous".

He told the court: "This is not a minor squabble. It is one of the most important issues that can ever come before a court. It is a question of national security."

National interests

The court heard that Foreign Secretary David Miliband had decided that disclosure of the document "could cause real harm to UK national interests".

The latest claims came during a procedural hearing at the appeal court in Edinburgh.

Lawyers are trying to address the issue of access to items of evidence and the scope of Megrahi's second appeal.

The Libyan is currently serving life for killing 270 people in the 1988 bombing.

He was convicted in 2001 of blowing up Pan Am flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie.

Megrahi was not in court for the latest hearing in Edinburgh, but appeal judges were told he does wish to attend future hearings.