The case of the four men convicted of the Guinness shares fraud 12 years ago is reopening in the British House of Lords today.
Five law lords were hearing appeals by Ernest Saunders, Gerald Ronson, Anthony Parnes and Jack Lyons against a ruling by the Court of Appeal last year.
The appeal judges rejected the men's claim that they were denied a fair trial at the Old Bailey in 1990 when they were convicted of involvement in a conspiracy to drive up the price of Guinness shares during the drinks company's £2.6 billion sterling (€$4.06 billion) attempt to take over Distillers in 1986.
Lawyers for the Guinness Four argue that they were wrongly deprived of their "right to silence" by being compelled to give evidence to Department of Trade and Industry inspectors that was then used as evidence against them in court.
Mr Saunders (64), the former Guinness chief executive, was jailed for five years for false accounting, theft and conspiracy, though his sentence was later cut to two-and-a-half years on appeal.
In the end he served only 10 months after he was diagnosed as suffering from pre-senile dementia. He is now a company consultant and says the doctors' diagnosis was mistaken.
Mr Ronson (61), head of the Heron Group, was jailed for a year and fined £5 million for false accounting, theft and conspiracy to contravene the 1958 Prevention of Fraud Act. He was released after serving six months.
Mr Parnes (54), a stockbroker, was sentenced to 30 months for false accounting and theft, which was reduced to 21 months at an appeal in 1991.
Mr Lyons now (84), escaped jail because of ill health but was stripped of his knighthood and fined £3 million. On appeal one count of conspiracy was quashed and his fine was cut to £2.5 million.
All maintained that the share operations in question were common practice and could not be classified as a crime.