Relatives in court battle for hepatitis C public inquiry

Published on 07/03/2007 01:35

CAMPAIGNERS took their fight for a hepatitis C public inquiry to the courts yesterday, hoping that the Scottish Executive would be forced into a U-turn.

Relatives of two people who died after contracting hepatitis C through contaminated blood transfusions in the 1980s asked a judge to overturn a decision by ministers to refuse an inquiry.

Aidan O'Neill, QC, for the families, told Lord Mackay at the Court of Session in Edinburgh that about 3,500 non-haemophiliacs and 500 haemophiliacs had been infected, and that there had been "years of uncertainty" about why it had happened.

The hearing is expected to last several days, and the judge will issue his ruling at a later date.