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Timeline Of Parallel Legal Developments

This multifaceted timeline displays key events in the history of the Lockerbie case, alongside the case of the French UTA plane. Where the listing appears in color, click on it to see a document related to the event.

For another detailed timeline from the Washington Post, click here.

Date United Nations Actions US & UK Criminal Actions Civil Actions Against Pan Am Civil Actions Against Libya French UTA Flight
Nov. 15, 1985       Executive Order 12538 on Imports of Refined Petroleum Products from Libya  
Jan. 7, 1986       Executive Order 12543 Prohibiting Trade and Certain Transactions Involving Libya  
Dec. 21, 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland
Sept. 19, 1989         French plane disappeared over Niger.
July, 1990     Report on the accident to Boeing 747-121, N739PA at Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire, Scotland on 21December 1988    
Sept. 17, 1990         UTA Flight 772 Accident Report
Feb. 13, 1991     Fatal Accident Inquiry Executive Order 12544 Blocking Libyan Government Property in the U.S. or Held by U.S. Persons.  
Mar. 21, 1991     Rein v. Pan American World Airways, Inc., 928 F.2d 1267 (2d Cir. 1991)

  • The Warsaw Convention, governing air carrier liability, precludes recovery of punitive damages in wrongful death actions.
    		•     
    June 27, 1991         French link Libyans to bombings.
    Nov. 13, 1991   Petition of the Procurator Fiscal Charging the Accused      
    Nov. 14, 1991   U.S. Grand Jury Indictment of two Libyan Nationals      
    Dec. 3, 1991     Coker v. Pan American World Airways, Inc., 950 F.2d 839 (2d Cir. 1991)

  • The trial court should have transferred 54 wrongful death claims from FL state court to the U.S. District Court in NY where Pan Am's bankruptcy proceeding was pending.
    		•     
    Jan. 21, 1992 UN Security Council Resolution 731 passed

  • Urged the Libyan Government to cooperate in the effort to determine responsibility for the destruction of Pan Am flight 103 and UTA flight 772.
    		•         
    Mar. 2, 1992 Application instituting proceedings against the U.S. & U.K. filed by Libya before the International Court of Justice

    [under Application]

    		        
    Mar. 31, 1992 UN Security Council Resolution 748 passed

  • Instituted air and arms embargo against Libya
    		•         
    Apr. 14, 1992 International Court of Justice issues order denying Libya's request for provisional measures[under Orders]

  • See summary from the Max Plank Society's World Court Digest
    		•         
    Nov. 6, 1992     Vail v. Pan Am Corp., 260 N.J. Super. 292 (App. Div. 1992)

  • NJ appeals court held that state courts do not have authority to decide claims of fraudulent advertising and practices in the airline industry.
    		•    
    Nov. 11, 1993 UN Security Council Resolution 883 passed

  • Sanctions tightened.
    		•         
    Feb. 17,1994     Murray v. Pan American World Airways, Inc., 16 F.3d 513 (2d Cir. 1994)

  • The trial court did not err by transferring actions brought by Lockerbie residents in FL state court to the U.S. District Court in NY.
    		•     
    Sept. 12, 1994     Pagnucco v. Pan American World Airways, Inc., 37F. 3d 804 (2d Cir 1994)

  • Affirmed finding of liability for willful misconduct under the Warsaw Convention. See the dissenting opinion for a review of evidence that may surface during the trial in the Netherlands.
    		•     
    May 17, 1995       Smith v. Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, 886 F. Supp. 306 (E.D.N.Y. 1995).

  • Libya's motion to dismiss was granted. A sovereign is immune from suit in U.S. courts unless an exception is provided under the Federal Sovereign Immunities Act.
    		•   
    Sept. 9, 1996     Pescatore v. Pan American World Airways, Inc., 97 F.3d 1 (2d Cir. 1996).

  • Although the trial court should have applied state, rather than federal law to interpret the Warsaw Convention, the judgement finding Pan Am liable was upheld.
    		•     
    Nov. 26, 1996       Smith v. Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, 101 F.3d 239 (2d Cir. 1996).

  • Aircraft sabotage, although a violation of international norms, does not constitute an implied waiver of immunity from lawsuit by a foreign state under the FSIA.
    		•   
    Feb. 27, 1998 ICJ Judgement on Preliminary Objections [under judgment]

  • ICJ finds that it has jurisdiction to hear the case brought before it by Libya against the U.S. and U.K.
    		•         
    Apr. 5, 1998 UN Press Release SC/ 6662

  • Security Council announced suspension of sanctions.
    		•         
    Aug. 24, 1998 Letter from U.K. and U.S. to Secretary-General of the UN

  • Conveyed willingness to bring the accused before a Scottish court sitting in the Netherlands
    		•         
    Aug. 27, 1998 UN Security Council Resolution 1192 passed.

  • Sanctions to remain in place until the accused arrived in Netherlands.
    		•         
    Sep. 18, 1998   Agreement Between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom Concerning A Scottish Trial in the Netherlands

    High Court of the Justiciary Order 1998, conferring authority on the High Court to sit in the Netherlands

    		      
    Dec. 15, 1998       Rein v. Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, 162 F.3d 748 (2d Cir. 1998).

  • Libya can be sued in a U.S. court based on the amendment to the FSIA permitting claims to be brought against designated state sponsors of terrorism.
    		•   
    Mar. 8, 1999         Trial in absentia begins for Libyan suspects in UTA plane bombing
    Apr. 5, 1999   The accused transferred to Camp Zeist      
    Jun. 30, 1999 Report of the Secretary-General of the UN

  • S-G's findings regarding Libyan compliance with Resolutions
    		•         
    Jul. 16, 1999         Libya paid millions in compensation to families
    Aug. 10, 1999   High Court finds the Sunday Times newspaper not liable for contempt of court by publication as alleged in a petition brought by the accused.      
    Sept. 22,1999       Hartford Fire Insurance Co. v. The Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15035 (D.D.C. 1999) .

  • Assuming Libyan culpability, Pan Am's insurers are entitled to recover from Libya money spent defending and settling claims brought against Pan Am.
    		•   
    Oct. 29,1999   Scottish Indictment      
    Nov. 12,1999   The Accused file a motion in the Preliminary Diet disputing the Court's jurisdiction to hear the charges of conspiracy to murder. Motion rejected on Dec. 8.      
    Dec. 7-8, 1999   Reports on the Preliminary Diet (from Glasgow)
    Hearing 1
    Hearing 1b    		      
    March 7, 2000   High Court rules against the petition of the BBC to televise the trial proceedings.      
    January 11, 2001   The indictment against the accused is amended.      
    January 31, 2001   The High Court finds Abdel Baset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi guilty of murder, Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah found not guilty. (PDF)

    Final amended indictment issued.    		      
    Compiled by Sara N. Scheideman

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