Chris Cairns is likely to face his perjury trial in October 2015 following a brief court appearance in London on Thursday.
Cairns, who has been charged with perjury linked to the libel action he brought against Lalit Modi in 2012 for match-fixing accusations made on Twitter in which he was awarded £90,000 in damages, attended Southwark Crown Court along with barrister Andrew Fitch-Holland who faces one count of perverting the course of justice.
The pair appeared in a glass-fronted dock and spoke only to confirm their names as Judge Alistair McCreath gave them unconditional bail to appear for a plea and case management hearing at the same court on January 16. Both Cairns and Fitch-Holland have indicated they will contest the charges.
When the initial charges were laid in September, Cairns said he had “nothing to hide.”
“I’m obviously extremely disappointed. However, at least there will now be an opportunity to face my accusers in an open forum, with some rigour and proper process around that, so that I can clear my name once and for all,” he said in a statement.
The trial is expected to last around four weeks with players from around the world likely to be called to give evidence.
In submissions during the initial court appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court earlier this month it was alleged that Cairns wilfully made a statement in the legal proceedings against Modi “which you knew to be false or did not believe to be true namely that you never, ever cheated at cricket and nor would you contemplate doing such a thing”.
Fitch-Holland is charged with asking Lou Vincent, the former New Zealand batsman banned for life earlier this year after admitting his involvement in fixing, to provide a false witness statement in support of Cairns.
