There will be no jury for the inquest into the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed after Baroness Butler-Sloss ruled she alone will hear the case. There could be a lengthy wait for proceedings to begin, however, as Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed, who wanted a panel of ordinary men and women to hear the evidence, is expected to appeal against the decision.
Lady Butler-Sloss, former head judge of the Family Division of the High Court, said she believed the highly technical evidence, and the fact that most of the witnesses to the tragic car crash ten years ago are French and would require interpreters, would be too much for a jury of ordinary members of the public. She also expressed concern that it would be difficult to find a jury who did not already have "strong views on the fatal crash".
She will hold a hearing in March to determine which witnesses to call. These are not expected to include Princes William and Harry but their father Prince Charles may well be called upon to give evidence or submit a witness statement. She added, however, that Diana's sons would be treated as "interested persons" in the case and be given full access to the relevant evidence - as will Mohammed Al Fayed and the parents of driver Henri Paul.
The Baroness is hoping to start the inquest in May and complete it before the tenth anniversary of Diana's death in August. William and Harry have previously expressed their desire to have closure on the decade-long case. A three-year inquiry by former Metropolitan police Comissioner Lord Stevens recently concluded that the crash in Paris in August 1997 was a "tragic accident".
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
