AUSTRALIA
The Australian
AAP
CARDINAL GEORGE PELL’S FIRST COURT APPEARANCE
WHAT CHARGES DOES HE FACE?
Multiple historical sexual offence charges involving multiple complainants
Cardinal Pell denies all the allegations
HOW WAS HE CHARGED?
Pell was charged on summons on June 29 while he was in Rome. The charges were served on his legal representatives in Melbourne and filed in the Melbourne Magistrates Court.
WHAT IS WEDNESDAY’S COURT HEARING?
A filing hearing is the first step in the Magistrates Court.
It is a brief administrative hearing to set a timetable for the early part of the court process.
The magistrate will fix a date for a committal mention and a timetable for the exchange of information between the prosecution and defence.
That determines when the defence receives the prosecution’s brief of evidence (or hand-up brief) that contains all the evidence in the case in the form of witness statements, the accused’s record of interview and copies of exhibits.
The filing hearing may include any other directions the court believes are necessary, such as about the forensic examination of exhibits.
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