Shrien Dewani's lawyers launch Supreme Court bid

Shrien and Anni Dewani married in a lavish Hindu ceremony in Mumbai in India in October 2010, two weeks before her death

Honeymoon murder suspect Shrien Dewani's lawyers are to launch a bid to take his case to the Supreme Court.

It is the latest move to stop the 33-year-old Bristol businessman being sent back to South Africa to face trial over his wife's death.

Mr Dewani is accused of plotting to kill 28-year-old Anni Dewani, who was shot in the head on the outskirts of Cape Town in November 2010.

He was told last month he will be extradited to South Africa for trial.

Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle ruled at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 24 July that he should be extradited and rejected his attempt to stay in the UK for further hospital treatment for mental health problems.

'Unjust and oppressive'

Judge Riddle had given the go-ahead to Mr Dewani's extradition in 2011.

He had to reconsider the position after two senior High Court judges - Sir John Thomas, president of the Queen's Bench Division, and Mr Justice Ouseley - allowed an appeal in March last year.

They were told Mr Dewani had depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The pair said it would be "unjust and oppressive" to remove him until he recovered but it was plainly in the interests of justice that he was extradited as soon as he was fit.

Mr Dewani's lawyers lodged an application at the High Court for the two judges to now certify that their ruling raised "a point of law of general public importance" for consideration by the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land.

Taxi driver jailed

Mr Dewani is suspected of ordering the killing of his new wife Anni as they drove through the Gugulethu township in a taxi.

They were kidnapped at gunpoint.

Mr Dewani was released unharmed, but the next day the body of Mrs Dewani was found on the back seat of the car in Lingelethu West, with injuries to her head and chest.

Last year, South African Xolile Mngeni was convicted of premeditated murder for shooting Mrs Dewani.

Prosecutors claimed that he was a hit-man hired by Mr Dewani to kill his wife, something that Mr Dewani has consistently denied.

The couple's taxi driver Zola Tongo was jailed for 18 years after he admitted his part in the killing, and another accomplice, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, also pleaded guilty to murder and was handed a 25-year prison sentence.