When considering the Appeal Court's decision not to grant interim release for Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, we must remember that he stands convicted of an appalling crime. On the other hand, we should also remember that the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, after three years of consideration, thought the trial might have represented a miscarriage of justice.

Interim release seems often to be dependent on the significance of the appeal lodged. It can hardly have been any weakness in this which influenced their lordships. The possibilities of future offending or of absconding in this case are greatly reduced by the pernicious mix of a deadly illness and the high public profile this man endures.

The briefest look at the actions of the Libyan regime over the past eight years indicates that any appropriate or clandestine intervention would be illogical and counterproductive to its progress internationally. It is to be hoped that dread of the criticism that would have been their lot from relatives and commentators had they decided to release him did not influence their lordships.

It has never been a goal of the group of which I am part to seek revenge, and the refusal of a return to his family for a dying man, whose verdict is not even yet secure, looks inhumane. It can only detract from his likely lifespan.

It was Prime Minister William Gladstone who said: "Justice delayed is justice denied." His words may come back to haunt the reputation of Scottish justice down the years, particularly if this man dies before his appeal is completed. If he dies in prison and the verdict is subsequently overturned, he will become a martyr. What would this do for peace in the world and Scotland's reputation?

If he appeals to the Justice Minister for release on compassionate grounds, it is to be hoped Kenny MacAskill will consider the suffering imposed on Megrahi's family (having to watch his deterioration from a distance), the adverse affect of stress on the prisoner's prognosis and the reputation of Scotland's justice system.

Dr Jim Swire, Calf Lane, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire.