AUSTRALIA
Daily Mail
By Sam Duncan For Daily Mail Australia
Australia’s most powerful Catholic has landed in Sydney amid calls for him to be the subject of a judge-only trial when he fronts court over historical sex charges in Victoria.
Senior lawyers are concerned that Cardinal Pell could be adversely affected by juror perceptions of him and the Catholic Church, and are arguing for a judge-alone trial.
Cardinal Pell landed in Sydney on Monday morning, and will base himself there when he is not required at Melbourne Magistrates Court during the trial.
‘There’s been an awful lot of publicity, a lot of discussion and it’s a good argument for a judge-alone trial, said Mr Chadwick.
He and Mr van de Weil are calling for Victoria to follow NSW, Queensland, and Western Australia in allowing high-profile defendants to have judge-only trials.
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