The Committee is currently considering the following public petitions
PE1280 by Julie Love and Dr Kenneth Faulds on amending the Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths Inquiry (Scotland) Act 1976 to require the holding of a fatal accident inquiry when a person from Scotland dies abroad.
The Committee considered the petition at its meeting on 8 November 2011 and agreed to write to the Scottish Government requesting further details of when it intends to introduce legislation to amend the 1976 Act and to keep the petition open, pending the Scottish Government's response.
The Committee considered the petition at its meeting on 10 January 2012 and agreed to keep the petition open pending the introduction of the relevant primary legislation and to consider, at a future meeting, a background paper on the Committee Bill Procedure.
PE1370 by Dr Jim Swire, Professor Robert Black QC, Mr Robert Forrester, Father Patrick Keegans and Mr Iain McKie on behalf of Justice for Megrahi calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to open an independent inquiry into the 2001 Kamp van Zeist conviction of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 in December 1988.
The Committee considered the petition at its meeting on 8 November 2011and agreed, by division (For 6, Against 3, Abstentions 0), to keep the petition open pending the outcome of Lord Carloway's review of Scottish criminal procedure and evidence and the Committee's consideration of forthcoming Scottish Government legislation concerning the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission.