Hamza wins right to appeal

Three of the country's most senior judges at the Court of Appeal in London decided Hamza should be allowed to challenge the convictions, setting the stage for an appeal trial as early as October.

"The impact of the pre-trial publicity and the publicity during the trial itself on the fairness of the proceedings generally should be considered by the full court," said one of the three justices, Igor Judge.

The long delay between the time the crimes were committed and the decision to prosecute should also be examined, the appeal ruling said.

Hamza's Finsbury Park mosque was at the centre of some of the most high-profile terrorism cases of recent years.