Lawyers for George Pell are set to seek special leave to appeal in the High Court this week, in what will be his last chance of early release after being convicted of child sex charges.
The deadline for seeking leave is Wednesday afternoon and friends said the expectation remained that an appeal would be lodged. George [Cardinal] Pell’s legal team had 28 days after the Victorian Court of Appeal rejected his appeal against convictions over child sex abuse in 1996 and 1997.
Pell is serving a minimum three years and eight months’, with a headline penalty of six years.
He remains in the Melbourne Assessment Prison but has been given more opportunity to exercise and “remains in good spirits’’, one source familiar with the cardinal’s health said.
MAP is normally considered a short-term jail for prisoners while more permanent facilities are found for inmates.
However, because George [cardinal] Pell is a child sex offender he has been judged to be at extreme risk of being assaulted by other inmates if he is released into the general prison community.
There is no guarantee the appeal will be heard by the High Court and, if it is, it is unlikely to be before next year.
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However, because George [cardinal] Pell is a child sex offender he has been judged to be at extreme risk of being assaulted by other inmates if he is released into the general prison community.
Bret Walker SC is expected to lead the case for Pell. While highly regarded, the Pell legal team will face an uphill battle for the High Court to overturn the jury and Court of Appeal.
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