Julian Assange’s fiancee is seen outside court with friend-of-the-stars lawyer
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Julian Assange’s fiancee was today spotted outside court with friend-of-the-stars human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson before a judge refused to delay the activist’s extradition hearing.
Stella Moris, 37, who is herself a lawyer, was seen walking under the wing of Ms Robinson as the pair arrived at the Old Bailey this morning to support Assange.
Ms Moris, who has two children with Assange, was in court after visiting Downing Street in a bid to deliver a Reporters Without Borders petition against the extradition, which has been signed by around 80,000 people.
The extradition case was initially delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic in May.
Ms Robinson, 39, who is representing Mr Assange, calls Amal Clooney her best friend and was seen rubbing shoulders with Prince Charles at an exclusive charity event in London before the Covid-19 outbreak took hold.
Julian Assange’s fiancee, Stella Moris (left), was today spotted outside court with friend-of-the-stars human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson
Assange, 49, today lost a last-ditch legal bid to have his extradition case at the Old Bailey delayed further because of fresh ’11th hour’ allegations as his lawyers complained they were ‘abnormal and unfair’.
The activist faces 18 charges and a sentence of 175 years should a judge grant his extradition to the United States.
US prosecutors claim Assange recruited a teenager to hack into the computer of a former WikiLeaks associate and delete messages relating to him.
They claim that Assange, who appeared in court for his hearing today, met the then 17-year-old in 2010 in Iceland, who gave him data stolen from a bank.
Mr Assange’s father, John Shipton, Ms Moris, greeted one another outside the court
Ms Moris brought her partner’s press card with her as she arrived at Downing Street to deliver a petition earlier on Monday. Last month she launched a Crowdjustice campaign to help raise money for his defence
According to an updated opening document, submitted by the US but not outlined by representatives in the Old Bailey on Monday, Assange later directed the teenager to target a former WikiLeaks associate.
Assange is also fighting the extradition on the basis he would likely receive a life sentence on conviction which would be ‘inhuman and degrading’ for someone ‘with his mental vulnerabilities’.
His team stated there was a risk Assange would take his own life if extradited.
Julian Assange, pictured in May 2019, faces 18 charges in the US – including plotting to hack computers and conspiring to obtain and disclose national defence information
Defence solicitors say Assange would be denied the right to a fair trial in the US and claim a trial would be a ‘flagrant violation’ of his right to protect journalistic sources.
Ms Robinson, a well-known Australian lawyer, recently made international headlines standing as Amber Heard’s barrister during the Johnny Depp‘s libel case against The Sun newspaper in London in July.
Ms Robinson was pictured accompanying Depp’s ex-wife into court, where the Pirates of the Carribean star is suing the newspaper over a 2018 article that suggested he was a ‘wife beater’.
Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood joined protesters outside the Old Bailey demonstrating against the potential extradition of Julian Assange
Demonstrators held up signs outside the Old Bailey, while inside, Julian Assange told a judge he did not consent to extradition
Ms Robinson made headlines in July over her role as Amber Heard’s barrister in Johnny Depp’s libel case against The Sun newspaper in London. She is pictured during a hearing for Julian Assange in 2019
Ms Robinson (centre) was pictured accompanying Johnny Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard (second from the right) into the High Court in London on Thursday. Ms Heard was also joined by her partner Bianca Butti (left) and her sister Whitney (top left)
Explicit details of the couple’s turbulent marriage dominated headlines, including claims Depp bashed Heard’s head into a fridge and sent texts threatening to cut off Elon Musk’s penis after suspecting they were having an affair.
In another, the model, 34, claimed her ex-husband, 57, used his severed finger to paint ‘I love you’ in blood on a mirror while they were temporarily based in the Gold Coast while he was filming.
Ms Robinson is part of the powerful group of women who are supporting Ms heard through the blockbuster libel trial.
Ms Robinson came from humble beginnings in the small village Berry, south of Sydney, where her father works as a horse trainer.
She is now a leading human rights lawyer from Doughty Street chambers who also represents Julian Assange.
She has become one of the UK’s highest profile human rights and media lawyers, working in the practice established by prominent Australian lawyer Geoffrey Robertson.
Ms Robinson is a close friend of Amal Clooney and attended her wedding to George in 2014, where she was asked to carry out bridesmaid duties. She arrived via Venice in a boat with fellow guest Bill Murray (pictured)
The Australian (pictured in 2019) has appeared at the International Court of Justice and given expert evidence at the UN and in Parliament
‘I am proud that women from my chambers, like Jennifer and Amal Clooney, are proving that young women can rise high in the law and overcome the bars and sexism in what used to be a male-dominated profession,’ Mr Robertson told News Corp in July.
‘She is quite brilliant and has assisted me on those important cases and has done very well and is having a successful career working at my Chambers.
‘She has represented the West Papua independent movement and other human rights causes.’
Ms Robinson has appeared at the International Court of Justice and given expert evidence at the UN and in Parliament.
Her areas of expertise are free speech and civil liberties, and she regularly advises newspapers on media law.
Ms Robinson attended Amal Clooney’s wedding to George in 2014, where she was asked to carry out bridesmaid duties. She arrived via Venice in a boat with fellow guest Bill Murray.
In 2017, she was seen canoodling with Jeremy Corbyn’s former spin doctor Seumas Milne – with her father later telling MailOnline that his daughter was just enjoying a night out and a ‘few drinks’ with a friend.
Johnny Depp pictured arriving at the Royal Courts of Justice in Strand, London, in July. The Pirates of the Carribean star is suing The Sun newspaper over an article suggesting he was a ‘wife beater’
Actress Amber Heard, 34, pictured above leaving the High Court in London in July
Her father, Terry, insisted his daughter is a ‘good girl’ who has been in a ‘few relationships’ but dismissed suggestions that she was having an affair with the married father-of-two.
In 2011 she gave an interview about her private life and described herself as ‘passionate’ and ‘infinitely curious’, and said: ‘My friends would probably add, ”the eternal optimist” or ”a bit bonkers”.’
She admitted that while being serious as a proud Australian she enjoys ‘taking the p**s’ and said she swears too much.
Ms Robinson also confessed that she ‘partied’ a lot when she was younger. She said: ‘London has too much fun on offer to be stuck at your desk all day and night’.
And responding to a question about the contents of her London fridge she said: ‘Nothing but a few bottles of champagne (and maybe a mouldy piece of cheese)’ because she so rarely eats at home.
She was also asked: ‘What comes into your mind when you shut your eyes and think of the word ‘law’?’ and replied: ‘Jude’ – a reference to the British actor.
Amber Heard is pictured above arriving at the High Court with Jennifer Robinson. It is hard to imagine Ms Wass, who defended the serial killer Rosemary West, ever walking hand in hand with a client, as Ms Robinson did with Miss Heard on the opening day of Depp’s case
It was impossible to see Amber’s expression, or if she even glanced in her former husband’s direction, or if those glances were filled with regret or antipathy or something else. (Above, the 34-year-old actress and her ‘Team Heard’ arriving at the High Court; far right, her lawyer Jennifer Robinson)
Ms Robinson was mainly an observer in Heard’s case, which saw Depp hit with 14 allegations of domestic violence, claims he defending during the three days of testimony.
The newspaper, which failed to have the case thrown out of court, is relying on Heard’s claims to defend their article as true.
The actor has denied hit his former wife on several occasions, but admitted he ‘accidentally’ headbutted her during a fight in Los Angeles in 2015.
The court also heard Depp allegedly threw a phone at Amber Heard and called her ‘Amber Turd’ after she allegedly defecated in their marital bed after a blazing row on her 30th birthday party in which he threw a champagne bottle at her.
Heard denied the claims, and suggested it may have been one of their small dogs, Pistol or Boo.
The court was also shown photos Heard provided of her injuries, including bruises on her arms and black eyes.
The model also alleged Depp tried to set fire to a painting Heard’s former partner Taysa van Ree gave to her, that was hanging in her bedroom.
While denying the claims, Depp has accused Heard of violence towards him, saying his finger was severed actually severed after she threw a bottle of champagne.
He said he would be frequently ‘punished’ if he ‘broke her rules’, such as whether she took his boots off or whether he put his arm around her while watching TV on the sofa.
Depp’s case against The Sun is expected to continue for another two weeks.
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