Margot James pressures the government on Luke Walker
7th July 2010
In Parliament today, Margot James raised the issue of Luke Walker’s ongoing incarceration. She asked about a set of photographs, required by the coroner in the UK, that have not been provided by Greek authorities. Without these photographs it will be impossible for the coroner in the UK to validate autopsy findings which may be pivotal for the outcome of Luke Walker’s trial.
The minister, David Liddington MP, informed the House of Commons that he had been in contact with consular staff in Greece and the family of Luke Walker. He expressed the government’s continued commitment to support Luke Walker, his family and their lawyers who are working to prove the young man’s innocence.
Luke Walker has been held on murder charges but without any identifiable evidence for sixty-six days. Margot has been liaising closely with Luke Walker’s family and has been in regular contact with Mr Liddington to ensure that the government pursues this issue vigorously.
Margot said “Luke Walker’s case is especially harrowing. He has been imprisoned for sixty-six days and no one involved has heard any evidence to support this. I am doing all that I can to keep his case on the agenda of Foreign Office ministers and consular staff. I was pleased to do this today by asking a question in parliament.”
FULL TEXT:
Margot James (Stourbridge) (Con): What recent discussions he has had with Her Majesty's consul general in Greece on the case of Mr Luke Walker. [5781]
The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington): This is a tragic case, which I have discussed with officials. Our consular staff in Crete have visited Luke Walker in detention, and they are providing him and his family with ongoing assistance.
Margot James: I thank my hon. Friend for his answer. Photographs and papers promised by the court in Crete to Luke Walker and his family, which are legitimately required by the UK coroner, are being subject to unacceptable delays. Does my hon. Friend agree that the reluctance of the Greek Interior Department to co-operate with UK coroners in general might be contributing to these delays? Can he assure my constituent, who has now been in prison for 66 days, that all possible steps are being taken to resolve these matters?
Mr Lidington: In the case of Luke Walker, consular officials in my Department are doing everything they can to expedite the process, within the limits placed on us by our inability to interfere in the judicial processes of other countries. On my hon. Friend's more general point, the Foreign Office has established, together with the Ministry of Justice and the Greek Ministry of Justice, a working party that will look at the problem that she has identified-namely, how to ensure that important case documents are shared between the different jurisdictions.
