Rangers win court case over Charles Green's legal fees

Former Rangers chief executive Charles Green has failed in a legal bid to force the club to pay his legal fees in a forthcoming criminal trial.

Mr Green and several others face trial next year over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Rangers' assets in 2012.

Rangers disputed Mr Green's claim that his contract covered all future legal costs arising from his time in charge.

Judge Lord Doherty has now found in the club's favour. Mr Green's legal team may choose to appeal the decision.

The details of Lord Doherty's judgement will not be released until after Mr Green's criminal trial has concluded.

Contract clause

A short summary of the judgement, issued by the Judicial Office, said that clause 8.3 of Mr Green's contract stated: "The company will pay any reasonable professional (including, without limitation, legal and accounting) costs and expenses properly incurred by the employee after the date of this agreement which arise from having to defend, or appear in, any administrative, regulatory, judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings by a third party as a result of his having been chief executive of The Rangers Football Club or the company."

Mr Green's lawyers argued that the clause obliged Rangers to pay his "reasonable professional costs and expenses" while defending the criminal case.

Lord Doherty, however, decided that the criminal proceedings did not fall within the scope of clause 8.3.

Mr Green and a number of others, including the club's former owner Craig Whyte, were arrested and charged in September.

The moves followed an investigation by Police Scotland into off-field events at the club in 2012 and 2013.