A verdict in the first trial of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein will not be issued on October 16 as scheduled, and the judges are considering whether to recall some witnesses, a court spokesman said today.

Saddam Hussein attended his genocide trial today, after the presiding Iraqi judge threw him out of court yesterday because he protested against the replacement of his lawyers who had boycotted the session.

An American lawyer on Saddam Hussein’s defence team today lashed out at the Baghdad court trying him, saying it was not giving the defence enough time to present its case, intimidated its witnesses and put the defence at “a serious disadvantage”.

An Iraqi man has been sentenced to life in prison in connection with the abduction and murder of Irish-born care-worker Margaret Hassan.

The Baghdad court trying Saddam Hussein held a brief session today, but handwriting experts who had been due to testify on the authenticity of signatures on key documents did not appear.

THE trial of Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants was adjourned yesterday until December 21 after a truncated session which the ousted president refused to attend.

The trial of Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants was adjourned today until December 21 after a truncated session which the ousted president refused to attend.