Jimmy McDougall
Encyclopedia
Jimmy McDougall was Procurator Fiscal
in Dumfries
when Pan Am Flight 103
crashed at Lockerbie
, Scotland, on 21 December 1988 killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew on board, as well as 11 people in the town of Lockerbie .
from the Lord Advocate
who is a government minister. At the time of the bombing the Lord Advocate was a member of the UK government but, since devolution
, is now a member of the Scottish Executive
.
. The prime responsibility for the investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
fell to Jimmy McDougall, the Procurator Fiscal in the nearby town of Dumfries, and to the Dumfries & Galloway police force – the force with the fewest officers in Britain. The police effort was augmented by officers from all over Scotland as well as the north of England. McDougall was given support from the Crown Office in Edinburgh and in particular from Norman McFadyen, then head of the Fraud and Specialist Services Group and now Procurator Fiscal covering the Edinburgh area but also with special responsibility for the Lockerbie case.
Procurator Fiscal
A procurator fiscal is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They investigate all sudden and suspicious deaths in Scotland , conduct Fatal Accident Inquiries and handle criminal complaints against the police A procurator fiscal (pl. procurators fiscal) is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They...
in Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
when Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways' third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from London Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport...
crashed at Lockerbie
Lockerbie
Lockerbie is a town in the Dumfries and Galloway region of south-western Scotland. It lies approximately from Glasgow, and from the English border. It had a population of 4,009 at the 2001 census...
, Scotland, on 21 December 1988 killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew on board, as well as 11 people in the town of Lockerbie .
Responsibility
In Scotland, responsibility for the investigation of sudden deaths rests with the Procurator Fiscal, who will attend the scene and may direct the police in the conduct of their inquiries. The Procurator Fiscal holds a commissionLetters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
from the Lord Advocate
Lord Advocate
Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
who is a government minister. At the time of the bombing the Lord Advocate was a member of the UK government but, since devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
, is now a member of the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
.
Investigation
On 28 December 1988 – just a week after the crash – air accident investigators were able to announce that they had found traces of high explosive and that there was evidence that PA 103 had been brought down by an improvised explosive deviceImprovised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
. The prime responsibility for the investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
Investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
The investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 began at 19:03 on December 21, 1988 when Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The perpetrators had intended the plane to crash into the sea, destroying any traceable evidence, but the late departure...
fell to Jimmy McDougall, the Procurator Fiscal in the nearby town of Dumfries, and to the Dumfries & Galloway police force – the force with the fewest officers in Britain. The police effort was augmented by officers from all over Scotland as well as the north of England. McDougall was given support from the Crown Office in Edinburgh and in particular from Norman McFadyen, then head of the Fraud and Specialist Services Group and now Procurator Fiscal covering the Edinburgh area but also with special responsibility for the Lockerbie case.
See also
- Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trialPan Am Flight 103 bombing trialThe Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial began on 3 May 2000, 11 years, 4 months and 13 days after the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 on 21 December 1988...
- Alternative theories into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103Alternative theories into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103Pan Am Flight 103 conspiracy theories suggest a number of possible explanations for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 on 21 December 1988. Some of the theories preceded the official investigation by Scottish police and the FBI; others arose from different interpretation of evidence presented at...