(THREAD) At Westminster Magistrates' Court for #JulianAssange's last scheduled case management hearing. This is the final hearing listed before the substantive extradition hearings are due to begin again in May. I will tweet from today's court hearing via this thread. @SputnikInt

Court officer explains that there is a delay because they are trying to sort out the audio so journalists can hear properly when submissions are being made. A number of the people making submissions, including lawyers, will be doing so remotely.

Press and public allowed into Court Room 9. No lawyers physically present (they may all end up making. Prison officers told the court #Assange is not being introduced because he is unwell.

A roll-call of lawyers on the telephone conference has just been conducted. Because the voices of the lawyers are quite weak, the volume is the issue, so the "rate of narrative" will be slowdown to assist us all top follow the hearing.

Judge Baraitser: “I’m going to deal first with reporting restrictions issue” I made a decision last week with “perhaps clearer details”...

Fitzgerald QC for defence: There is a "clear power in the court to grant anonymity to a witness". We are asking to do so here, the statement would be available, simply the name will be changed to AA, as in numerous other cases, the court and prosecutor will be aware of the name.

In summation defence is requesting:

First, that the name not spoken should be anonymised

Secondly, that reporting restrictions be maintained in any event.

Judge has concluded that the private life rights of Mr #Assange's partner and her children do not outweigh the principles of open justice. Assange's partner's statement further to his emergency bail hearing will be disclosed to the press.

Fitzgerald QC: Seeking to vacate the upcoming Part 2 of #Assange's extradition hearing listed for 18 May 2020.

There will be no equality of arms
He would not be able to participate in proceedings
There are real problems of open justice
High degree of stress and pressure

Case preparation & taking instructions. We have not been able to have any reasonable communication with Assange. We can’t have access to him physically. We cant have any realistic access via video. Extreme delays & some times it just doesn’t happen.

His instructions are crucial at this particular stage. As you will be aware, there is a long history of problems to have access to him, even before the outbreak of COVID-19.

Any access at all has effectively disappeared the govt restrictions meant that we haven’t been able to take instructions on the 2 further … or on our necessary response which will involve consulting numerous representatives in this country, the US, Germany & further afield

He simply wouldn’t have a fair hearing unless he and lawyers and witnesses were present in person. Some could be called via skype but only if everyone else is present in court.

Defence would be at a “massive, massive disability” if he’s not even present in court and we are not able to take contemporaneous instructions. It is difficult to see how he could give us instructions, and observe witnesses.

Assange has a well-documented history of clinical depression. He cant have any therapy sessions, or religious ceremony, to force him to go through the hearings, with his psychiatric health being reduced, would not be fair to him.

Respectfully advise the court to recognise that in fairness to him… the only fair course is to adjourn the case. "We invite you to vacate the [substantive extradition hearings] listed in May".

Prosecution recognises there will "considerable difficulties" in hold the substantive extradition hearings in May. They remain neutral on the matter noting only that they will be ready for a May hearing if a professor visits Assange in prison for a second time to examine him.

JUDGE BARAITSER: Hearing commencing on 18 May at Belmarsh magistrates court will remain listed and another hearing 20 April will commence at Belmarsh Magistrate's Court as well, the final part will be listed at Belmarsh, probably soemtime in July 2020.