Word: baker
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...jury at the inquests into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed, the next six months could be the longest - and most confusing - half-year of their lives. As the coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker wrapped up his opening statement on Wednesday, the men and women tasked with deciding, once and for all, how the couple died finally have a full picture of the road ahead. And it's not going to be smooth...
...jury heard and saw the first of pieces of evidence. Referred to by Baker as "uncontroversial," these are the facts that nobody is contesting: a basic chronology of events leading up to the crash; a video of a car retracing the route from the Ritz to the Pont de l'Alma tunnel; and security tape footage of Diana and Dodi at the hotel. There's more chronology to come on Thursday, then a visit to Paris to see the tunnel and the hotel early next week. After that, the inquest gets into the details, and things get more complicated...
...years on, everyone thinks they know what happened on Aug. 31, 1997. But Baker's statement, peppered with phrases like "contradictory evidence" and "perhaps we shall never know," promises a flood of unreliable testimony, conflicting expert opinion and unexplained anomalies that could force everyone to think again. Here are the three key questions that will probably only lead to more questions...
...seemed to be picking apart Al Fayed's case, Baker made it clear that the murder allegations would be taken seriously, that the inquests would explore all the points - 10 of them in total - that Al Fayed's legal team say support their claim that the crash was no accident, and that Al Fayed (or his lawyer, at least) will have his day in court...
...Baker was also sending out another message, more subtle, but just as clear: Move on folks, nothing to see here. By shooting down the juiciest rumors surrounding the inquests, Baker has cut the circus off at the pass. Now jurors, the press and the public know what's coming, there's no room for giddy speculation or shocking revelations from the stand. All that's left, Baker is hoping, is six months of just-the-facts and a chance for the world to finally put Diana to rest. Whether or not he gets what he wants - that's another question...