Oscar Pistorius could be facing another trial. Oscar Pistorius could face another murder trial after South African authorities admitted they had an appetite to challenge his conviction on a lesser charge. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel is holding urgent meetings with the countrys most senior legal experts to seek support of a possible appeal. Professor James Grant, who was one of the first to be consulted, is urging Mr Nel, to have Pistorius case looked at again and offering support to make the case for a murder conviction. There was widespread criticism of Judge Masipas acquittal of Pistorius on a murder charge last month – including by Professor Grant, who said it highlighted the illogicality in the interpretation of criminal negligence and criminal intent in key cases on which the judge based her ruling. In her judgment explaining why she could only convict him on culpable homicide, or manslaughter, the 67 year-old judge acknowledged that a reasonable person with Pistoriuss disabilities would have foreseen that shooting into the door may have killed the person inside. We have always stated first and foremost that we disappointed with the conviction. There is an appetite to appeal, and we have 14 days to consider the law and ensure the facts and the law allow us to appeal Nathi Mncube, spokesman for the National Prosectuting Authority However, she said South African legal precedents warned against automatically assuming that because a perpetrator should have foreseen the consequences of his actions that he actually did. She said that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the double amputee foresaw the fatal consequences of his actions when he shot at the door, meaning she could not convict him on a murder charge. These issues have demanded attention for decades, and now thanks to the Pistorius trial, they have been brought to the attention of a lot of people. Resolving these issues will benefit everybody – no matter how much they have paid for their legal teams. Pistorius lawyers were due to visit him today at Kgosi Mampuru jail to ensure he is getting all the medical support – for his disability and his fragile mental health – that he needs. With the state looking increasingly like they are not prepared to let Judge Masipas verdict lie, the disgraced athlete will come under pressure to build a fresh war chest for the legal battles ahead.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 08:10:55 +0000
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