The lawyer of Liberian ex-president Charles Taylor stormed out of the war crimes trial in The Hague in protest at judges' refusal to accept his late filing of a document.

"We do not feel that it would be appropriate for us to take part," Taylor's lawyer Courtenay Griffiths told judges before rushing out of the courtroom, ignoring an order to sit down.

Taylor's trial on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in neighbouring Sierra Leone between 1991 and 2001, entered its final phase today with the prosecution's closing arguments.

But Griffiths said judges' refusal to accept the defence's final, written brief 20 days beyond the deadline, rendered the proceedings unfair.

Manipulation
"It is our duty to withdraw" pending a appeal ruling against that decision, said Griffiths, announcing that both he and his client intended to leave.

Prosecutor Brenda Hollis accused Taylor and his legal team of seeking to manipulate the court. 

Judge Teresa Doherty ordered Griffiths to sit down, warning that he risked being found in contempt of court if he refused.  "The trial will continue," she said, as the lawyer rose to his feet. "There have already been too many delays in the trial. The accused and counsel will remain and hear the submissions of the prosecutor as scheduled."

Court without legitimacy
Griffiths stormed out, telling journalists outside the court he did so out of a duty to protect his client's interests.

"We have decided not to participate in these closing arguments because as far as we are concerned it is a complete farce," he said. "By being in court I am giving a certain legitimacy, a certain credibility to the proceedings that it does not deserve."

source: AFP