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Tuesday, 12 December, 2000, 16:46 GMT
Lord Archer pleads not guilty
Lord Archer arrives at court
Lord Archer has denied at the Old Bailey that he asked a friend to lie for him during a libel case.
The millionaire author was making his first appearance at the court on charges including perjury and perverting the course of justice. Pleading not guilty to all five charges, the former Conservative party chairman was remanded for trial on 14 May.
Lord Archer pleaded not guilty to two charges of perjury, two of perverting the course of justice and one of using a false instrument, relating to diaries used in his libel trial against the Daily Star newspaper in 1987. The 60-year-old allegedly asked Mr Francis, 67, a television producer, to lie for him in order to provide a false alibi for the high profile case. Wearing spectacles and dressed in a dark navy suit, blue shirt and dark tie, Lord Archer stood motionless staring directly ahead as he was arraigned. Bail granted He replied not guilty to each charge as it was put to him by the court clerk. Recorder of London Judge Michael Hyam told both men that they were granted bail, but if they failed to attend their trial without reasonable cause they faced a fine or imprisonment. The hearing before a packed courtroom lasted 20 minutes and dealt mainly with administrative matters. The trial is expected to last two to three weeks, but could run into a fourth. No comment Before proceedings started the clerk asked Lord Archer to swap places with Mr Francis as they had sat on wrong sides in dock. Lord Archer arrived in court in a chauffeur-driven green BMW and left immediately after the hearing without comment. His wife, Mary, 56, was not with him. The full list of charges faced by Lord Archer, accused under the name Jeffrey Howard Archer:
The full perverting the course of justice charge faced by Mr Francis, accused under the name Edward John Francis:
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