THE public is “entitled to know” why Lord Janner cannot be tried for an alleged string of child sex offences, a senior judge has said.

The 87-year-old peer is accused of 22 sexual offences dating back to the 1960s against nine alleged victims, the majority of whom were 16 or under at the time.

Greville Janner, who is on bail, was excused from attending the Old Bailey yesterday as the case was brought before the appointed trial judge, Mr Justice Openshaw, for the first time.
Updating him on progress, Eleanor Laws, QC, said the prosecution was “on track” but added that there would be thousands of pages of unused material relating to children’s homes.

The date of Monday, December 7, had already been set to decide if the peer, who suffers from dementia, is well enough to stand trial.

Ms Laws said: “Both parties agree the defendant is unfit to plead and unfit to stand trial. There is no merit in putting off the determination.”

Defending, Nicholas Purnell, QC, said he was keen to “preserve” all his client’s rights but suggested that there was no reason not to decide the matter now.

However, the judge insisted that regardless of whether it was agreed between the lawyers, it was for him to make the ruling and the evidence should be aired with a “short opening” in court.

He said: “Plainly there is a public interest in these matters and the public are entitled to know the evidence on which the finding has been made.

“Should the medical reports be made available to the press? That is a question we will need to address on December 7.

“Are the press entitled to see the reports, what can the press report on the hearing and what, in the fullness of time, should the jury be told?”

The judge also agreed that yesterday’s hearing could be reported.

A provisional trial date has been set for Monday, February 22, for a trial of facts, although a further possible date has been reserved for Monday, April 11.

Janner is accused of 15 counts of indecent assault and seven counts of a separate sexual offence over a series of incidents from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Twenty-one of the alleged offences relate to children aged 16 or under at the time.