Lord Janner Will Not Have To Attend Court To Face Child Abuse Charges

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Lord Janner

Lord Janner will not be forced to attend crown court to face child abuse charges when the case comes up next week.

Proceedings against the former Labour peer are listed for 1 September at Old Bailey but according to reports, Mr Justice Sweeney will not require him to appear in person.

Janner was due for his first Crown Court appearance over 22 child sex abuse charges spanning three decades.

The Mirror reports: Mr Justice Sweeney, presiding judge for the south eastern circuit, will hear the case at the Old Bailey from 2.30pm on Tuesday.

But sources at the court confirmed that the senior judge would not require Lord Janner to be present for the hearing.

Earlier this month, he was forced to attend Westminster Magistrates’ Court for 59 seconds after a week-long legal wrangle over the issue.

His legal team had been insisting he was too ill to attend in person because of his advanced dementia.

But two senior judges ruled the former Labour peer and MP must attend because of “the obvious and strong public interest in ensuring those summoned to court attend when required”.

Janner now faces an unusual form of trial known as a trial of the facts. The defendant cannot put forward a defence, no verdict is reached and the court does not pass sentence.

 

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