Australian Cardinal George Pell gets last chance to overturn sex offences conviction
The HinduCatholic cardinal George Pell will have one last chance to overturn his conviction for sexually assaulting two teenaged choirboys after the Australian High Court on Wednesday agreed to hear the former Vatican treasurer's appeal. Lawyers for Pell declined to comment on Wednesday's decision, which is the cardinal's final avenue to clear his name after an earlier appeal upheld his conviction by a lower court. “This will prolong what has been a lengthy and difficult process, but we can only hope that the appeal will be heard as soon as reasonably possible and that the High Court's judgement will bring clarity and a resolution for all,” Archbishop Mark Coleridge, head of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said in a statement. The High Court on Wednesday ordered Pell's lawyers to file their arguments for appeal by Jan. 8, with the crown prosecutors' response due on Feb. 5.