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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/aug/13/lord-janner-lawyers-lose-attempt-halt-court-appearance-child-abuse-claims
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| Janner faces arrest if he fails to appear at court hearing on child abuse charges | Janner faces arrest if he fails to appear at court hearing on child abuse charges |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Lawyers acting for Greville Janner have lost their attempt to prevent him being forced to attend court on Friday to face child abuse charges. | Lawyers acting for Greville Janner have lost their attempt to prevent him being forced to attend court on Friday to face child abuse charges. |
| They had argued that it would be “barbaric, inhumane and uncivilised” to arrest the former Labour peer if he did not attend the hearing. Paul Ozin said there was medical evidence that requiring Lord Janner to attend court would cause a “catastrophic reaction” due to the severity of his dementia. | They had argued that it would be “barbaric, inhumane and uncivilised” to arrest the former Labour peer if he did not attend the hearing. Paul Ozin said there was medical evidence that requiring Lord Janner to attend court would cause a “catastrophic reaction” due to the severity of his dementia. |
| He told two senior judges: “Lord Janner’s dementia is now at such a level of severity that it amounts to a perfect storm in terms of the adverse impact on him of attending court.” | He told two senior judges: “Lord Janner’s dementia is now at such a level of severity that it amounts to a perfect storm in terms of the adverse impact on him of attending court.” |
| Janner’s lawyers were challenging an order requiring him to attend Westminster magistrates court on Friday over 22 allegations of child sex abuse dating back to the 1960s. | Janner’s lawyers were challenging an order requiring him to attend Westminster magistrates court on Friday over 22 allegations of child sex abuse dating back to the 1960s. |
| Ozin said the order made by district judge Howard Riddle last week was “perverse” and urged the high court judges to lift the threat of an arrest warrant for Janner if he failed to attend, pending a full judicial review of Riddle’s order. | Ozin said the order made by district judge Howard Riddle last week was “perverse” and urged the high court judges to lift the threat of an arrest warrant for Janner if he failed to attend, pending a full judicial review of Riddle’s order. |
| Ozin added: “It is barbaric, inhuman and uncivilised to expose a very vulnerable person to the experience I have alluded to, particularly when it is wholly unnecessary and serves no logical purpose.” | |
| He argued there was an alternative method – a voluntary bill of indictment – to bring the peer to trial without him having to appear before the magistrates court in person, which would be “both medically undesirable and potentially dangerous, leading to injury”. | |
| But the judges rejected the application on Thursday. Lady Justice Rafferty, sitting with Mr Justice Irwin, said the court had unhesitatingly concluded that the balance between Janner’s human rights and the public interest came down in favour of Janner’s appearance in court for the brief period required by law. | |
| However, Janner’s lawyers could still mount an 11th-hour attempt to prevent the peer being compelled to attend court on Friday. | |
| Outside court, Janner’s lawyers said they were considering whether to appeal to a duty judge later on Thursday. If that legal challenge is successful, it would mean Janner would no longer face arrest if he failed to appear in court on Friday. |