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Temple Garden Chambers is a leading common law set based in London and The Hague.
With excellence from top to bottom Chambers provides a first class service in a number of different fields.
01/05/2025
Further submissions have been made to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers concerning the first-instance criminal proceedings against Mr Raffaele Mincione in the Tribunal of the Vatican City State. These proceedings continue to be described in the press as the Vatican’s ‘trial of the century’.
The submissions are based on material that has been received by Mr Mincione. This material consists of audio recordings and photographs of letters.
The letters apparently form part of correspondence between the late Pope Francis and a witness against Mr Mincione. In his letter, Pope Francis refers to his closeness to the witness. It is evident in letters from the witness to Pope Francis that this correspondence addressed the witness’ evidence and his desire to continue in the diplomatic service of the Holy See.
Among the recordings is a recording of a voice message apparently left by Mr Stefano De Santis, who is part of the Vatican gendarmerie that served the prosecutors in the Vatican City State in their investigation of Mr Mincione and his co-defendants, directing how the witness ought to alter his evidence.
It has been submitted that the recordings and letters dramatically underscore the seriousness of the failure by the prosecutors to make proper disclosure, and the failure of the Tribunal to compel this, in light of the guarantees of a full defence in customary international human rights law. It has also been submitted that the material strikingly highlights the lack of both independence and visible impartiality that characterised the Tribunal during the first-instance criminal proceedings.
Rodney Dixon KC and Sebastian Bates act for Mr Mincione before the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.
The Times has reported on the submissions here.
