Duke of York’s demand for jury trial is Prince Andrew saying: ‘Bring it on’
Legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg has said the Duke of York’s demand for a jury trial is him stating “bring it on”.
Experts had predicted Andrew would seek a settlement after the Queen stripped him of his military roles but court documents showed that he has decided to face Virginia Giuffre, who has brought a civil sexual assault case against him, in court.
Andrew strenuously denies all the allegations against him.
Rozenberg told BBC Breakfast: “Those (a trial by jury) are certainly the words with which this page 11 defence ends but it was Virginia Giuffre who asked for a jury trial, demanded a jury trial, in her claim.
“And so what you’ve really got here is Prince Andrew saying, ‘Bring it on. You want a jury trial? I want a jury trial. You want to bring these claims? Well, in that case, you have to prove everything that you’re saying, because I’m not going to admit to anything’.”
He added the case could still settle out of court but added that “nevertheless the prince is saying that he denies everything.”
The duke submitted 11 reasons why the case should be dismissed, including that Ms Giuffre’s claims are “barred by the doctrine of consent” and by “her own wrongful conduct”.