
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Dominic Grieve, the Attorney General, said he hoped to settle any concerns about Dr David Kelly's death to 'give the public reassurance'.
His remarks raise the prospect that a full inquest, which could see Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell and other senior Labour figures questioned in public, could finally be held.
But the Attorney General said that before he applied for such a hearing he would need convincing evidence that the weapons expert had not committed suicide (my emphasis). Mr Grieve said he was unable to take any action until Ken Clarke, the Justice Secretary, decided whether to release a number of key documents from an archive used by Lord Hutton for his report. Mr Grieve said he could not apply on a "hunch" and had to take account of the feelings of Dr Kelly's close family, who have not called for a fresh investigation.
Surely the purpose of a full inquest would be that convincing evidence could be produced. The fact that the Hutton inquiry archive includes Dr Kelly's post mortem examination report, which Lord Hutton ordered sealed "in view of the distress that could be caused to Dr Kelly's wife and daughters" is enough evidence that his death may be suspicious, especially in view of recent reports that there was little or no blood at the scene. Dr Kelly's wife has never questioned the decision of the Hutton inquiry or commented upon the letter which a group of doctors signed and which stated that the official explanation was "extremely unlikely".


