Lawyer Elizabeth Christopher will next week launch the legal defence of a woman accused of possessing cocaine in Bermuda -- after her flight was diverted here.

Ms Christopher advised the court she will protest that local courts have no jurisdiction in prosecuting Diana Margaretta Harvey Rennocks.

The appeal will be heard before the Chief Justice Austin Ward on Tuesday.

Rennocks was arrested on September 19 after she was rushed to hospital after becoming ill on a flight from Jamaica to New York.

A week later, she was charged with having 457 grams of cocaine worth $118,000.

Yesterday, before Rennocks entered a formal plea to charges of possessing and handling cocaine, Ms Christopher said: "Before we do that I will be appealing to the jurisdiction of this matter under section 506 (2)(g) of the Criminal Code.'' But when Mr. Justice Ward said he would set the date for Tuesday and Ms Christopher suggested another day, he said: "No, lets get this out of the way.

"If these courts don't have jurisdiction then we'll have to release this lady,'' Mr. Justice Ward added. "The sooner the better.'' Yesterday's monthly arraignments session in the Supreme Court appeared to operate smoothly as senior Prison's officials handled tasks normally done by officers.

There were few glitches as people were produced before the Chief Justice, Austin Ward.

Other than the Commissioner of Prisons Edward Dyer, Deputy Commissioner Marvin Trott and Assistant Commissioner Randall Woolridge, there was a senior female officer to escort a female prisoner and several drafted-in Police officers.

In other monthly arraignments, the heroin trial of Tyrone Calvin Simmons, 27, and Shadonna Kelly, 20, has been delayed further as Kelly is pregnant and near to being full term.

The Cottage Hill, Hamilton Parish pair will return to the February arraignments session for a trial date.

But by then it will have been 35 months since Simmons and Kelly have stood accused of importing and possessing heroin with intent to supply on March 16, 1998.

Tensions appeared to be running high between the pair as once Simmons and Kelly were dismissed from the courtroom, but before Prison officers released them, a man and a woman could be heard shouting from the area of the holding cells.

Since their arrests the pair have been free on $10,000 bail each.