Canada opens full inquiry into Air India bombing

Major flaws in Canada's criminal justice system were revealed by the bombing of an Air India airliner in 1985 that killed 329…

Major flaws in Canada's criminal justice system were revealed by the bombing of an Air India airliner in 1985 that killed 329 people off the Irish coast, the judge heading an official inquiry into the attack said today as the inquiry opened.

Air India Flight 182, originating in Canada, blew up off the Atlantic coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985, in what was the deadliest ever bombing of a passenger airliner. A bomb intended to bring down a second Air India flight exploded almost simultaneously at Tokyo's Narita airport, killing two people.

The initial Canadian criminal investigation into the attacks was marked by controversy, including charges that infighting between various branches of the justice system had led to the destruction of potentially key evidence.

Two men eventually went on trial for the bombings but were found not guilty last year after the judge ruled that prosecutors had failed to prove their case.

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"To conclude only that the criminal justice system has to date failed the families of Air India victims falls short of the problem. It failed all Canadians. The system failed all Canadians," said retired Supreme Court justice John Major, who is leading the inquiry.

"The personal losses and unspeakable tragedies are the most immediate and visible aspect of our loss. The systemic weaknesses that have been identified are less visible, but potentially as fatal as what happened," he wrote in a opening statement.

Major will not be able to find guilt or say who he thinks was responsible for the blast. Investigators allege the bombings were carried out by Sikh separatists furious at the Indian government for its bloody 1984 storming of the Sikh Golden Temple in the city of Amritsar.

Representatives of about 80 families of victims attended the formal opening of the inquiry, which is being held in Ottawa's old city hall. Hearings will start on September 25 and Major is due to issue his final report in September 2007.