But the court heard that a procedural error had been made during sentencing, meaning Macdonald did not meet the criteria for an indeterminate sentence.

BBC: Prisoner Edward Macdonald 'tried to burn down building'

Carried out by Mott Macdonald from January to April, the independent report did however identify several areas of concern, including "significant and increasing" pressures on Accident and Emergency.

BBC: Walsall Manor Hospital improves poor death rates

The chief crown prosecutor for London, Dru Sharpling and Director of Public Prosecutions, Ken Macdonald QC, also attended the meeting, as did a number of Metropolitan Police officers.

BBC: NEWS | UK | England | London | CPS rules out Lawrence prosecution

Despite accumulating evidence implicating Stoeckley and exonerating MacDonald, our petition, a federal district court ruled in 1991, did not overcome the heavy burden that suddenly favored finality.

FORBES: Jeffrey MacDonald, Innocence, and the Future of Habeas Corpus

Lord Macdonald, now a Lib Dem peer, welcomed the concessions made so far but said they did not go far enough.

BBC: Government scraps 'secret inquests' plan