HC says no to UK lawyers

The counsels had wanted to defend Duncan Grant and Alan Waters

MUMBAI: British lawyers will not appear in Bombay High Court on behalf of British nationals Duncan Grant and Alan Waters, who were sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in the Anchorage Shelter paedophilia case. The High Court, which is hearing their appeals against their conviction, was informed on Tuesday that the convicts would engage Indian lawyers to fight their case.

The convicts’ defence team suffered another setback on Tuesday when senior criminal lawyer Majeed Memon sought the court’s permission to step down as the lawyer for the third convict in the case, William D’Souza, the India manager of the Colaba shelter.

Last week, British lawyers Edwin Glasgow and Jeremy Donne had sought permission to appear on behalf of the Britons.

However, on Tuesday a bench comprising Justices S Radhakrishnan and Roshan Dalvi took objection to the fact that a UK-based NGO, Fair Trials Abroad, had written a letter to Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar stating that in the interest of fair trial and justice, the British lawyers should be allowed to represent the UK citizens. “This is not the way things are done,” Justice Radhakrishnan said expressing his disapproval.

The judges made it clear that only Indian lawyers would appear before them in court. The hearing has been adjourned to November 22.

Grant, 62, and Waters, 58, both former Royal British navymen, were found guilty on charges of paedophilia. In March 2006, a Sessions Court had sentenced them to six years’ imprisonment and slapped a fine of £20,000 (Rs16 lakh) on each. D’Souza was sent to three years in jail.