A DOCTOR has been refused permission to bring a High Court challenge over the Attorney General’s refusal to back a new inquest into the death of Dr David Kelly.

Dr Kelly’s body was found at Harrowdown Hill, near his home at Southmoor, near Abingdon, on July 18, 2003.

The Government weapons inspector, 59, was judged to have committed suicide in a report published by Lord Hutton following a public inquiry.

Lord Hutton rejected claims that his report amounted to a “whitewash”.

The Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, concluded in June this year that there was no possibility that any inquest would reach any other verdict than suicide.

Yesterday, Mr Justice Nicol, sitting in London, refused David Halpin, a retired orthopaedic surgeon and one of a group of doctors campaigning for a new inquest, permission to seek a ruling that the Attorney General had acted “unlawfully and irrationally”.

There were cries of “shame” and “this is not justice” from members of the public as the decision was announced.

Mr Halpin, 71, from Haytor, Newton Abbott, Devon, had challenged the Attorney General’s refusal to exercise his statutory powers to ask the High Court to order a fresh inquest.

Rejecting his application to seek judicial review, the judge described how it was the Attorney General’s role to act as a “filter” before matters got to court.

The judge declared: “Parliament considered it necessary for such a filter.

“In my judgment he (the Attorney General) has exercised that discretion and power lawfully.”

Mr Halpin was ordered to pay £5,568 towards the Attorney General’s legal costs in resisting his application.