The Pope in a perp walk?

[marmar]

via the Toronto Star:



Can the Pope be charged as a criminal?
Lawyers debate whether U.K. courts can arrest visiting pontiff on 'universal jurisdiction' warrant

Published On Mon Apr 5 2010

Paisley Dodds
Associated Press


LONDON–Protests are growing against Pope Benedict XVI's planned trip this fall to Britain, where the legal world is debating whether the Vatican's implicit statehood could shield the Pope from potential prosecution related to sex crimes by pedophile priests.

More than 10,000 people have signed an online petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown opposing the Pope's four-day visit to England and Scotland in September.

The campaign has gained momentum as more Catholic sex- abuse scandals shake Europe.

Although Benedict has not been accused of any crime, senior British lawyers are now examining whether the Pope should have immunity as a head of state and whether he could be prosecuted under the principle of universal jurisdiction for an alleged systematic cover-up of sexual abuses by priests. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/vatican/abusescandal/article/790218--can-the-pope-be-charged-as-a-criminal?bn=1