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Lord Janner lawyers lose High Court bid over child abuse charges | Lord Janner lawyers lose High Court bid over child abuse charges |
(35 minutes later) | |
Lawyers for Lord Janner have lost a High Court bid to spare him attending court to face child sex abuse charges. | Lawyers for Lord Janner have lost a High Court bid to spare him attending court to face child sex abuse charges. |
The 87-year-old peer, who has dementia, must now appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday in relation to 22 charges spanning the 1960s to the 1980s, which he denies. | |
The ex-MP's lawyers had argued it was "barbaric, inhumane and uncivilised" to force him to attend as he was too ill. | The ex-MP's lawyers had argued it was "barbaric, inhumane and uncivilised" to force him to attend as he was too ill. |
But judges upheld a previous ruling that the 87-year-old must be present. | But judges upheld a previous ruling that the 87-year-old must be present. |
His lawyer Paul Ozin had argued Lord Janner had "virtually no language left at all" and was likely to have a "catastrophic reaction" if he attended court. | |
The previous ruling by district judges ordering him to attend was "perverse", and forcing him to attend court in person violated his human rights, he said. | |
'Public justice' | |
However, giving her ruling Lady Justice Rafferty said even if Lord Janner did have a reaction to appearing in court it would be "short lived and rapidly forgotten". | |
Justice should be public and court not a place of avoidable spectacle, she said. | |
She and fellow High Court judge Mr Justice Irwin had "unhesitatingly" reached conclusion that it was in the public interest that Lord Janner attend court, she said. | |
Mr Justice Irwin said if Mr Ozin's arguments were to be accepted then notorious mentally ill homicide suspects might also not have to attend court. | |
Lord Janner's family strongly denies claims he used his power as an MP to abuse young boys over a 30-year period. | Lord Janner's family strongly denies claims he used his power as an MP to abuse young boys over a 30-year period. |
Who is Lord Janner? | Who is Lord Janner? |