Julian Assange’s angry outburst at judge over access to legal team
Julian Assange has lashed out at a judge in London, accusing her of putting him at a disadvantage in his extradition hearing.
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Julian Assange has lashed out at a judge shortly before she refused the Australian’s request to sit in the courtroom with his lawyers during his extradition hearing in London.
The WikiLeaks founder, 48, stood up and angrily pointed at District Court Judge Vanessa Baraitser as his lawyer pleaded for him to be allowed to sit next to his legal team.
After almost an hour of legal argument, Assange intervened as he stood up behind bulletproof glass in the prisoner’s dock to demand he sit with his lawyers.
“That is the problem that is exactly the problem … I can’t get clarification,” he said.
“I’m not able to guide representation. That’s the problem, I can’t speak to my lawyers.”
Judge Baraitser was unmoved by Assange’s outburst, or by his lawyers arguments for him to sit with them in the court.
They had claimed that he could not hear the case, which had been difficult because of noise from protesters outside the court and lawyers failing to speak properly into the microphone.
His barrister Mark Summers also argued that Assange was unable to give instructions to his lawyers because he was behind the glass.
He said that Assange could not have private conversations with his legal team because of his location in the courtroom.
Judge Baraitser dismissed the six grounds for Assange’s claim, saying she would allow regular breaks for him to speak to his lawyers in the court cells, even if it meant adding a further three weeks to the extradition hearing.
The United States has requested Assange be extradited to face 18 charges that carry a 175-year maximum prison sentence over his involvement in the leak of more than 250,000 classified government documents.
Judge Baraitser said that Assange’s complaints could be fixed by other means rather than sitting in the court.
“There are measures which are proportionate which can be taken,” she said.
“On request of your lawyers I can start hearings later than usual. During the course of proceedings, every hour if need be, I am happy for your lawyers (to speak with you).
“If that results in increasing (the length of the trial) … then I’m more than happy to accommodate that.”
Mr Summers also claimed that Assange was struggling to hear because of his mental health condition.
Assange appeared ruffled in court on Thursday (local time), with messy hair and was wearing a crumpled white shirt during the first part of the day’s hearings.
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However, Judge Baraitser said: “I have not been told any particular aspect of that condition that requires you to leave the dock.
“I refuse the application … to allow you to come out of the dock to sit in the well of the court.”
Assange’s lawyers have been claiming that he should not be extradited because his charges were political.
The prosecution rejected the argument saying that was based on an outdated understanding of a law put in place in 1870.
The case was adjourned until March 25.
stephen.drill@news.co.uk