Judge Hillary Squires was preparing this morning to deliver the last 114 pages of a 165 page judgment in the Schabir Shaik fraud and corruption trial in the Durban High Court.

Squires' secretary Margaret Parker said: "The verdict is unlikely to be concluded by lunch time."

She hoped it would be finished by the end of the day, but it might run into tomorrow morning.

"We're hoping his voice holds up," said Parker.

Meanwhile journalists and photographers were the only ones who had arrived at least an hour before the resumption of judgment at 10am, unlike yesterday when a large crowd gathered on the court steps.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and the Business Day.