Court to decide George Pell's fate
Convicted child sex offender Cardinal George Pell is set to be remanded in custody after he walks into Melbourne's County Court on Wednesday morning.
In the most sensational verdict since the Catholic Church became engulfed in worldwide abuse scandals, Pell was found guilty by a jury in December of orally raping a 13-year-old choirboy in 1996 and molesting another at St Patrick's Cathedral in East Melbourne.
A large media pack has gathered outside the County Court awaiting Pell's arrival ahead of the pre-sentence hearing.
Yet lawyers have launched a last-ditch attempt at sparing the cardinal from serving any time in jail, by having him apply for bail before the Court of Appeal.
They have had his case listed before two judges in the Court of Appeal at 2.30pm.
However that will not stop Pell from being sentenced next week.
Wednesday's pre-sentence hearing is set to start at 10am in County Court, where a victim impact statement from the man the cardinal sexually abused is due to be read aloud.
Crown prosecutor Mark Gibson, SC, and Pell's lawyer Robert Richter, QC, will also make submissions on what they believe the cardinal's sentence should be.
Pell was the newly appointed Archbishop of Melbourne when he committed the crimes. A suppression order prevented media reporting details of the trial until the gag was lifted on Tuesday morning.
Mr confirmed on Tuesday his team last week lodged an appeal against last December's convictions. The Court of Appeal can quash convictions and order the case go back to the County Court for retrial.
If that occurs, it will be up to prosecutors to decide whether to try the case again.
The Court of Appeal can also grant bail to a person while it reviews a legal challenge against conviction.
More to come.
with AAP