So a convicted mass murderer has been released on "compassionate" grounds. I can't believe the authorities could have been so weak as to even consider it let alone carry it out,the man showed no compassion whatsoever to 270 odd people when planning the attack yet expected it for himself.I find it hard to believe he is so very ill when he was able to walk to the plane appaerntly with a stick which incidentally spent more time off the ground than on it and didnt appear to be needed for any sort of support,someone with only "days to live" from cancer wouldnt even be able to get out of bed let alone walk around unaided.I suspect a miraculous recovery once back in Libya. In my opinion,the scum should have been executed on conviction.                                                                                                                                                                             

I agree with you                                                                                                                                                                              

thinking about it id rather send him home.hes dead anyway why give him the care he needs we all know the cost of health care and prison to the tax payer. they say about 3 months to live and are not usualy far out so i wont be buyin him a chrismtas card                                                                                                                                                                              

if convicted and admitted the crime.....a life for a life, it punishment was more severe like in times gone i am sure less crimes would take place ...imo                                                                                                                                                                             

He should not have been costing the british tax payed for all this time anyway. I'de have gladly supplied the rope. Although I think he is only a pawn, there were more helping to carry it off never to be caught now that some time has been served.                                                                                                                                                                             

just been watching the news & he's been given a hero's welcome back in Libya!!   But I'm of the opinion - same as Dunans - why should we the taxpayer pay for his cancer drugs & care, when the NHS is in such a state as it is!...nevermind the cost of keeping him in prison on top of that!                                                                                                                                                                             

I dont think he should have been released on any grounds but i also dont think that anybody who has committed such a hideous crime should live a luxurious life in prison either.  Most prisoners have a better standard of living than many pensioners. I agree that i think he will still be around and breathing in 12 months time as for a hero's welcome ...........................                                                                                                                                                                             

I can only agree with what's been said so far, there are 270 people who would have liked to go home                                                                                                                                                                                

someone with only "days to live" from cancer wouldnt even be able to get out of bed let alone walk around unaided.

For what it's worth, that's not necessarily true. My friend was "walking around unaided" on the last day of his life. He went to bed about 7pm, saying to his wife "It's time to tell everyone to stop visiting, I'm too tired now and can't cope with it. I just want to spend the time I've got left with you and the kids"

She went home and the hospice called her out again around 11pm and she returned to sit with him as he breathed his last in the early hours of the morning.

How this man was greeted when he returned home is not part of the decision-making process. We have certain criteria for releasing prisoners on compassionate grounds. He met those criteria and we are part of a civilised society which honours its rules & regulations and sticks to them, no matter whether the prisoner in question is Ronnie Biggs or Abdel Basset al-Megrahi.

We outlawed the death penalty (thank goodness!).

As Dostoevsky said: "The degree of a civilisation can be measured by entering its prisons" (or somesuch thing, I'm probably paraphrasing). Prison in the UK isn't the bed of roses the British media would have us believe, but it's also better than those countries where they treat prisoners worse than animals.

If "we" were to return to the death penalty, or to turn our prisons into something resembling dungeons from the dark ages, "we" would be no better than "them".

It was the "right" action to take IMO. We're not paying for his continuing health care and, as a bonus, he doesn't get to "die a martyr", languishing in a foreign prison, denied the chance to see his family beforehand. It's a better way to treat a terrorist than a terrorist would treat "us" and that's fine. We ARE better.

                                                                                                                                                                             

I Agree with what you say Lou - it was just galling that he got a hero's welcome on his arrival back home.                                                                                                                                                                             

not everyone in libya would condone what hes done many people in every country just want a quiet trouble free life an keep there heads down! trouble is that allows the extremistsand the men with guns to take advantage!!                                                                                                                                                                             

We still have the death penalty in this country or so I thought! But it's only for Treason............. The law is a long time over due a re read/think in the light of amimals like him if a hienuos crime is poven beyond any reasonable doubt, then we should still have the death penalty for the likes of him (save the greif of people the money it costs to cage these animals) I M O martyrdom, is only a warped belief, and we should not let that stop us punishing those who commit these crimes.   Our rules/laws are supposedly baised in the christian faith, well in the bible there are passages that both condone "an eye for an eye" and also true compassion, I'm not a bible basher myself but do think I'm more christian than most so called christians. Us acting better that those who are not like us will never change them and their ways, as they have their own warped ideas supposedly based in faith of one type or annother.   The weight of public opinion on these things is the majority would welcome the death penalty for, terrorism, murder, rape and child molestation, with the tech we have now compaired with when the last hanging took place is like chalk and cheese, and we can prove beyond reasonable doubt, (in fact the tech we have can prove factual) not guess work.   The Govt will not go to public opinion/reforendom on this as it opens a large can of worms, which once open will never be re closed.   I'd vote to have the panalty re enstated and put my trust fully in justice being proven, if any doubt the person would walk free, with our justice system, or the senctance would be reduced to a lesser crime if possable giving them a long "life means life" sentence.                                                                                                                                                                             

I would fight the death penalty all the way.

I am totally and utterly against it.

Read "Who Framed Colin Wallace" by Paul Foot for just a taste of what the authorities can do should it suit their purpose to shut you up for a few years.

And that's in our current climate (well, 20-30 years back), with our fluffy wuffy cuddly lovely elected Government and nice authorities who call themselves "Police Service" rather than "Force". Give them the death penalty back and they'll be able to shut people up permanently should they so desire.

& never mind the technology. There is ALWAYS room for human error. One innocent person put to death is one too many.

Eye for an eye stuff is ancient history. It's also practiced within Sharia Law. You want Sharia Law in this country?

We're an advanced secular civilisation. We don't need to execute outdated ancient historical &/or religious practices.

Public opinion should never be trusted in such matters. The Law is not based on "opinion". It is objective, not subjective and so it should remain.

If public opinion ruled, we'd be in a dreadful mess. All the paediatricians would've been hung drawn and quartered a few years ago. Remember that farce in Portsmouth? Ye gads!

Back to topic... add to TM's post those in Libya who believe this man to be innocent. They may be cheering because they think his release is long past due and that he's been wrongfully imprisoned. He also maintains his innocence. He is also generally regarded as a patsy in the whole affair, even by those who suffered personal loss.

Mmmm... I love that sexy rabbit in Who Framed Colin Wallace....                                                                                                                                                                             

*slaps TC very hard indeed!*

The book was so named for a spot of cashing in on the film title... and rushed through before the law changed to prevent its UK publication I believe
                                                                                                                                                                             

I believe his freedom was bought , Ghaddafi will take care of the cheque book ..after all not too long ago he sponsored vast terrorist training camps and initiated most international attacks , whats worse he might still be active ! This really pinches the nerves ...if the victims relatives were consulted and approved his release then so be it. I could'nt believe they'd let him walk.

want im dead go shoot im!!!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

he should have done his time in america.                                                                                                                                                                             

I must be of a different generation, I believe we should bring back both capital and corp punishment, let the cat of nine tales loose and then see if the chavs will mug and push old age pensioners about. this world has got so nampy pampy over the last 30 years with all the liberal sh*t about . the cane didn't make me a bad person but it did make me think before i did owt silly again.   this is just a personal view and I know it will never happen but some times the sentence dosn't fit the crime                                                                                                                                                                             

The law in this country is up it's own arse. Some reckon Biggs shouldn't be let out. He originally got 30 years. The  that killed baby P. and raped a 2 year old girl got a total of 10 years or there abouts. A hell of a difference. The two 's that killed Jamie Bulger did half their sentence then let out,given new identities and sent to Australia to start a new life. Paid for by us no doubt. They say that if they catch the ones who did the 40 million gem heist will get alot of years because it involves money. Obviously it means more than an innocent child's life to some people. So letting out a mass murderer like the bomber comes a no surprise. The law is really f****d up.