Italy's Constitutional Court rules that PM Berlusconi can stand trial

The court said in a brief statement that elements of the law, which allowed cabinet ministers including Berlusconi to claim exemption from trial because their official duties prevented attendance, violated the constitution.

The ruling by the court is set to further weaken the 74-year-old Prime Minister, who is battling to keep his centre-right coalition government together, after scraping through a no-confidence vote last month.

The judges struck down the blanket exemption offered by the so-called "legitimate impediment" law and ruled that it would be up to individual trial judges to decide on a case-by-case basis whether ministers would have to appear.

"Basically the court has completely rejected the argument of the government and the premier's advisers," Felice Casson, a former judge who is now a senator for the opposition Democratic Party said in a statement.

The ruling was sought by judges in Milan, where Berlusconi faces three trials over alleged offences connected with his Mediaset broadcasting empire.

He is accused of bribing his lawyer David Mills to give false evidence and also faces charges of embezzlement and tax fraud in connection with the sale of television rights.

It remains uncertain whether Berlusconi - who rejects the accusations – will stand trial, however, given the possibility that proceedings may be delayed until the statute of limitations, means the cases are shelved because the charges go back too far.

With his government clinging on to power after a split with former ally Gianfranco Fini last year, some commentators had speculated that an unfavourable decision could prompt a fresh crisis and bring early elections.

In reaction, Berlusconi’s lawyers stressed that the court appeared to have misunderstood a measure intended to allow the government to conduct business without the distraction of legal battles but said the decision should be respected.

Ministers said Berlusconi was the victim of a justice system out of control.