Two leading authorities on the trial of the Lockerbie bombers yesterday called for a fresh inquiry into the outrage.

Dr Hans Koechler, who was the official UN observer at Camp Zeist, and Professor Robert Black, who advised the government on setting up the trial in the Netherlands, also called for significant legal reform in Scotland as the minimum legacy from what they said was one of the most unfair trials in Scottish legal history.

The two men also said they believe it likely that the forthcoming appeal by Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi will be seen as inconvenient to the continuing rapprochement between the West and Libya and that he will simply be sent home.

This, they argued, would have to happen if the government's Public Interest Immunity (PII) certificate was upheld by a court thereby preventing evidence from the security services being passed to the defence.

Their observations will now be sent to the First Minister, the Justice Minister and the Lord Advocate, advising what lessons they believe have to be learned from the Lockerbie trial and to give politicians the "backbone" to continue the search for the truth behind the bombing which killed 270 people in December 1988.

Their report is the product of an unlikely meeting held in a hotel overlooking Loch Greshornish in north-west Skye over last weekend. This is where Dr Koechler, president of the International Progress Organisation, has spent the past three days locked in discussion with Professor Black, professor emeritus of Scots Law at Edinburgh University, and veteran campaigner Robbie the Pict who organised the meeting under the auspices of the Lockerbie Justice Group.

Professor Black outlined what he considered were the necessary Scottish legal reforms that Lockerbie had highlighted, to ensure greater justice in Scottish courts. The Human Rights Act laid down that it was the court's responsibility to ensure a fair trial. But he thought a specific amendment should be made to the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act.

"I think it would be useful for judges to be reminded that the duty of ensuring a fair trial, including equality of arms, should feature in the act."

He said there should be an end to conflict inherent in the dual role of the Lord Advocate, as chief legal adviser to ministers and head of all prosecutions. "The potential for conflict of interest always exists," he said.

In addition, the Crown should supply the defence with all prosecution witness statements and there should be dedicated criminal appeal court judges.

Dr Koechler is due to speak at the Scottish Law Awards in Glasgow tomorrow night where he will rehearse the Greshornish conversation and conclusions. Speaking in Skye yesterday, he said: "It is extremely frustrating that with regard to such an incident just one person has been presented as the culprit and no further questions asked.

"Only a child would believe such a story that there is one culprit who did everything. The other one, who according to the original indictment was a co-conspirator, was declared not guilty and sent home. My question is why does Scotland not undertake the appropriate measures to investigate this matter fully?"