Grieves will confirm whether an inquest will take place after his office has looked at the files

Grieves’ office pores over Kelly file

Grieves’ office pores over Kelly file

By Ian Dunt

The attorney general’s office is poring over files concerning the death of David Kelly with a view as to whether to hold an inquest into the case.

Dominic Grieve, the government’s senior law officer, has made it clear that he wants the issue to be resolved and his office requested that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) supply reports concerning the weapon inspector’s post-mortem examination.

The files arrived this week after being requested “quite a while ago”, a spokesperson for his office said.

Officials will make a recommendation to Mr Grieves, who might then order the inquest, as is demanded by several medical and legal experts.

There are concerns that the amount of blood on the scene and the nature of the cuts to his wrist were not sufficient for Mr Kelly to have lost his life.

The death triggered an explosion of media attention when it occurred in 2003. The Hutton Inquiry which followed replaced the existing inquest, but was widely considered a whitewash.

The inquiry also applied a less stringent test of suicide than an inquest.