Richards, Brennan and Williams do not have the right of appeal against the punishments with the ERC but they can take their cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

BBC: Richards ban to extend worldwide

And in an article in the New York Times this week the White House chief counsel, Alberto Gonzales, stepped back on one point: defendants will have the right of appeal to civilian courts (through a habeas corpus proceeding).

ECONOMIST: Liberty v security

The have the full right of appeal and can stay in Britain while their case is pending.

BBC: Gurkhas fight on for equal rights

The Law Commission has also recommended that the prosecution should have the right to appeal against acquittals made on the direction of a judge.

BBC: You are in: UK

Under the system, those facing trial would have a limited right to appeal any conviction, reducing the jurisdiction of federal courts.

CNN: Justices: Gitmo detainees can challenge detention in U.S. courts

The good news is that the appeal of the far-right Golden Dawn seems to have peaked.

CNN: Opinion: Greeks prefer Europe to its own politicians

Moreover, they have the right to appeal the next ruling, meaning that a final resolution of the case could take another couple of years, lawyers say.

WSJ: Italy's High Court Overturns Knox Acquittal

And Mr Cameron wants no one to have the right to appeal a decision in this way more than twice, a halving of the current maximum number of appeals.

BBC: Cameron: No more dotting of 'i��s'

Mr Sarkozy's expulsion orders and his use of the term racaille (scum) to describe the rioters have increased his appeal to the authoritarian right.

ECONOMIST: France

This has been to Mr Berlusconi's advantage over the years and none of his legal reforms have, as their main objective, the speeding up of justice (although one measure, removing the prosecutions' right to appeal a judgment, will help in some cases).

ECONOMIST: Silvio Berlusconi and Italy's judges