Saddam Hussein has seen lawyer only once

IRNA reported that :The British government has denied that the US has been restricting overthrown Iraqi president Saddam Hussein from legal representation even though he has met a lawyer on only one occasion since his arrest in December 2003.

"The US authorities have told us that Saddam Hussein has seen his lawyer on each occasion that he has made a request. Thus far he has met one lawyer one time for several hours, in confidence," Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell said, IRNA reported

"Neither he nor his lawyer of record has made any further requests to meet. Procedures are in place to allow him to meet lawyer on request," he said in a written parliamentary reply, published Tuesday, IRNA reported.

Saddam was reported to have seen a member of his Jordan-based legal team, who have complained that they have no chance of preparing any defence, last December at a secret location in Baghdad, IRNA reported.