London – A judge in Britain ruled Monday that she alone would determine what caused the deaths of Princess Diana and her boyfriend, rejecting arguments that a jury was the best way to ensure justice.
In the ruling, Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss said a jury – unlike a judge – would be forbidden under British law from considering the conspiracy theories that have dogged the investigation into the Aug. 31, 1997, deaths of Diana and Dodi Fayed.
Mohamed al Fayed, the father Dodi Fayed, has accused the queen’s husband, Prince Philip, of orchestrating a plot to kill Diana and Fayed, who died in a car crash in Paris.
Philip has never commented on the accusation.
Late last year, a sweeping British police inquiry dismissed allegations that the princess was the victim of a murder conspiracy. The inquiry said the chauffeur in the 1997 crash was drunk and speeding to elude pursuing photographers. The report largely confirmed previous findings by French investigators.
The judge said a jury would find it difficult to cope with the volume and detail of the evidence. The inquest will delve into technical matters on the crash, creating a video simulation and expert testimony.
More than 30 witness are expected to testify, including some by video link from Paris.
It is likely the inquest will begin in early May, Butler-Sloss said during preliminary hearings last week. Under British law, an inquest must be held when someone dies violently, unexpectedly or of unknown causes.
Diana, 36, and Fayed, 42, were killed along with chauffeur Henri Paul when their Mercedes crashed in the Pont d’Alma tunnel. The only survivor, a bodyguard, was badly hurt.
