 In March 2003, the Criminal Division of the Court of Cassation annulled the judicial proceedings against Barril on procedural grounds.The Court of Appeal criticised the lower court's judgement, in which it was stated that it was an "undeniable fact" that no charge had been brought against Barril, thereby prohibiting anyone from implicating him in the case in any way.It also dismissed Barril's appeal, on the grounds that as no charges were brought against him, and the lower court had ruled in the case based solely on the Press Law, that there was no basis for his claim that the presumption of innocence had been violated.