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SYDNEY - Former Federal Court judge Marcus Einfeld has been committed to stand trial on charges of perjury, perverting the course of justice and traffic offences.
The 69-year-old is accused of making false statements and lying on oath that other people - including a friend he knew to be dead - were driving his car when it was caught speeding and running a red light between 1999 and 2006.
In Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court today, Deputy Chief Magistrate Helen Syme said there was "ample evidence" to support convictions against Einfeld, who is now facing 13 charges.
Earlier today, Ms Syme said there was not enough evidence for a jury to convict him of a 14th charge of hindering an investigation, and it was dropped.
Einfeld sat with his head in his hands as the committal proceedings were finalised, staring at the floor before being asked to stand.
When asked if he wanted give evidence or call witnesses in his defence, he replied: "No thank you."
The charges arose after Einfeld swore his friend, Professor Teresa Brennan, had borrowed his car and was behind the wheel when it was caught by a speed camera in Sydney on January 8 last year.
He originally said he was in Forster, on the NSW mid-north coast, but was forced to concede he was in Sydney after a friend came forward to say they had lunched together in the city that day.
Einfeld then claimed he was driving his mother's car but maintained Professor Brennan had his vehicle that day.
This was despite media reports she had died in 2003.
"It would appear on the entirety of the prosecution evidence that it's not the case that the persons so nominated (by Einfeld) were the drivers of the motor vehicle," Ms Syme said.
"It would appear to be a good prosecution case that the defendant was in fact the driver of the car on each of these occasions or at the very least was in the motor vehicle on each of these occasions."
Einfeld has been committed to stand trial in the District Court on February 1, 2008. His bail was continued.
He did not comment as he made his way through the media pack and into a taxi waiting outside the court.
Earlier today, Angela Liati was committed to stand trial on charges of making a false statement with intent to pervert the course of justice over claims she made about her use of Einfeld's car.
- AAP
