Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie, left, leave the Old Bailey court in London Sept. 26, 2012. Brooks and her husband are charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice in relation to the phone hacking scandal.PAUL HACKETT/Reuters
The trial of Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International – parent company of the News of the World newspaper – and Andy Coulson, the prime minister's one-time communications director, is expected to take place next year.
The two, who face allegations relating to phone hacking, appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, alongside other former executives from the defunct News of the World.
Ms. Brooks and six others, including her husband Charlie Brooks, face charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. All were in court.
Ms. Brooks is also charged with three counts of conspiracy to intercept the communications of well-known people between 2000 and 2006 and two charges of conspiracy to intercept voicemail messages of Andrew Gilchrist, the former head of the Fire Brigades Union, and Milly Dowler, a murdered schoolgirl from Surrey.
Wearing a fawn coat, Ms. Brooks appeared in the dock alongside other former News of the World journalists, all facing charges of conspiracy to hack phones under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.
The six former News of the World staff face one general accusation of conspiracy to access voicemails, along with other charges related to specific people.
Andy Coulson, the ex-editor of the News of the World, Ian Edmondson, the head of news, Greg Miskiw, news editor, Neville Thurlbeck, an ex-chief reporter, and James Weatherup, a former reporter, also face charges. Stuart Kuttner, a former News of the World executive was excused from attending the hearing.
Glenn Mulcaire, a private detective, is accused of four counts related to particular individuals.
At the hearing before Mr. Justice Fulford, the court gave directions for the management of the two cases.
The defendants stood in the dock of court one of the Old Bailey, answered their names and said nothing else.
The proposed trial date is Sept. 9 next year and a timetable for disclosure and other pre-trial steps has now been set.
Another hearing has been fixed in December when the cases will come before the court. All defendants were bailed.