BRITAIN:The British royal family's desire to end the decade-long controversy over the death of Princess Diana foundered again yesterday after the High Court ruled the inquest must be heard by a jury.
The ruling overturned a decision by the deputy royal coroner Baroness Butler-Sloss that she would sit alone for the hearing.
Her decision was challenged by Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son Dodi was killed alongside the princess when their car crashed in Paris at high speed while their driver allegedly had twice the legal alcohol limit in his blood.
The court's decision makes it more likely that the inquest will examine Mr Fayed's allegation that senior royals had mounted a conspiracy to cause the 1997 crash.
A three-year-long British police inquiry concluded last year the deaths were an accident.
Lady Justice Smith, giving judgment, said: "Mr Fayed has alleged that the Duke of Edinburgh and the security services conspired to kill the princess and Dodi Fayed. The allegation must be inquired into. We want to be sure that the jury are an independent jury." The judges heard arguments that an inquest would attract worldwide attention and that the perception of a cover-up would be minimised by having a jury.
Lady Justice Smith, sitting with two other judges, said: "As this inquest will attract worldwide interest it must be seen on a worldwide basis to be above reproach in all respects, even by people looking at it from a very, very long way away."
Yesterday the three senior judges ruled that the coroner was legally obliged under the 1988 Coroners Act to sit with a jury because recommendations could be made to reduce the danger posed to royals, celebrities and members of the public by photographers pursuing them.
During the hearing of Mr Fayed's application, the judges were told there was an "eerie similarity" between the paparazzi pursuit of the princess and their recent "hounding" of her son Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton.
The judges said: "It is likely that there will be a recurrence of the type of event in which the paparazzi on wheels pursued the princess and Dodi Fayed."
A coroner and jury can make recommendations aimed at preventing future deaths.
Outside court, Mr Fayed called for Prince Charles and the Duke of Edinburgh to be called as witnesses. Such a demand makes further legal battles before an inquest is held likely.
Mr Fayed said: "The jury must now be allowed to hear the entirety of the evidence, but I fear there will be attempts to keep it from them. If so, that will be yet another battle I will have to fight.
"I have already had to fight for almost 10 years to establish once and for all how they died, why they died, who ordered their murders and who slaughtered them with such awful brutality."
Mr Fayed refuses to accept the deaths of his 42-year-old son and Princess Diana (36) were accidental.
A British police investigation headed by former London Metropolitan police commissioner Lord Stevens dismissed Mr Fayed's claims of a murder conspiracy, concluding the death was a "tragic accident".
Prince William and Prince Harry have said they wish the inquest to be prompt, fair and transparent. It is due to start in May. - (Guardian service)