The BBC's Jon Silverman: The trial is making legal history

A special hearing - the first where a court from a Commonwealth country has convened in London - heard from a scientist who examined the remains of Julie Ward 11 years ago.

Mr Justice Daniel Aganyanya is presiding over events in London

Retired Home Office pathologist Professor Austin Gresham is not fit to travel to Nairobi, but was able to travel to Kenya's High Commission.

Miss Ward, 28, of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, was found dead in the Masai Mara game reserve in September 1988.

Her charred and mutilated remains were examined by Prof Gresham, and his report concluded that the bones had been cut off with a sharp, heavy instrument - contradicting the official Kenyan pathology report.

Kenyan Attorney General Amos Waku: "This shows Kenya's utter commitment to justice"

The photographer's leg and jawbone were brought back to the UK by her father John, who conducted his own investigation into the case.

Professor Gresham told the hearing that Miss Ward's head had been chopped off by a "big heavy sharp implement". He dismissed claims by defence counsel Pravin Bowry that her injuries could have been caused by a blunt instrument as showing "a profound ignorance of human anatomy".

Professor Austin Gresham contradicted the official pathology report

Officials at the reserve said at the time that Miss Ward had been killed by wild animals.

At the start of proceedings the judge, Mr Justice Daniel Aganyanya, said he was happy to be in London.

''My team and I are very grateful and happy to be in this great and beautiful country to share with you the experience of the administration of justice,'' he said.

John Ward: "Prof Gresham is the man who does prove murder"

Kenyan Attorney General Amos Waku said the hearing was a demonstration of the country's commitment to justice.

He said: "This court coming here, all the way from Kenya, to ensure all the important witnesses in the case do give evidence and are cross examined by the defence counsel is an indication of our commitment to justice."

Campaign for justice

Mr Ward sat quietly through the proceedings in London

Hotelier John Ward, also from Suffolk, has spent a good part of his business fortune - £500,000 at the last count - trying to bring his daughter's killers to justice.

After much persistence, a fresh police investigation was opened by Scotland Yard detectives.

Two junior park wardens were acquitted of Julie's murder in 1992, and in February 1999 the case against another suspect, game park worker David Ole Nchoko, was dismissed.

Simon Ole Makallah: Denies murder

But the chief game warden, Simon Ole Makallah, was charged with her murder last year, and a new trial opened in the High Court in Nairobi in March. He has denied the charge, and has not travelled to London for the hearing.

Twelve people, including the judge, lawyers and court officials, were flown in from Kenya to hear the evidence from two British scientists.

The court has left Nairobi on one other occasion during the present trial to visit various areas in the Masai Mara where Miss Ward was last seen alive.