morning News: Disgraced cardinal George Pell could walk free today

If the judges agree with the defence that the jury's verdict was "unreasonable", Pell could walk free immediately, although he could face a possible appeal from the state.

Victoria's Court of Appeal is set to hand down its decision on Cardinal George Pell's appeal over his child sex abuse conviction. Source: AAP

An Australian court will rule on George Pell's appeal against child sex abuse charges Wednesday, when the convicted cardinal could walk free or begin a new round in his protracted legal fight.

Once the Vatican's third-ranking official, 78-year-old Pell was sentenced this year to six years in jail for sexually assaulting two 13-year-old choirboys at a Melbourne cathedral in the 1990s.