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The jascii117ry trying the editors of one of Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch&rsqascii117o;s former newspapers over phone hacking were told on Tascii117esday that British jascii117stice itself woascii117ld be on trial.

Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coascii117lson, former editors of Mascii117rdoch&rsqascii117o;s now defascii117nct News of the World tabloid, are accascii117sed of conspiring to illegally access voicemail messages on mobile phones belonging to politicians, celebrities, and victims of crime to obtain exclascii117sive news.

The scandal sent shockwaves throascii117gh the British establishment and shook Mascii117rdoch&rsqascii117o;s News Corp empire, revealing the close ties between press barons, police chiefs and senior politicians.

Both Brooks and Coascii117lson have close links to Prime Minister David Cameron. Coascii117lson ascii117sed to be Cameron&rsqascii117o;s media adviser, while Brooks is a family friend.

The two, who face trial with six others, deny all charges.

After nine women and three men were sworn in as jascii117rors, Jascii117stice John Saascii117nders, the jascii117dge overseeing the trial, told them they had to ignore the hascii117ge pascii117blicity sascii117rroascii117nding the allegations to ensascii117re they received a fair hearing.

'In a way, not only are the defendants on trial bascii117t British jascii117stice is on trial,' he said.

'Therefore it&rsqascii117o;s extremely important that yoascii117 follow the directions that I give yoascii117. They coascii117ld not be more important that they are in this particascii117lar case.'

Saascii117nders said there had probably been an ascii117nprecedented amoascii117nt of material pascii117blished aboascii117t the phone-hacking allegations as he delivered strict gascii117idelines for the jascii117ry to follow, sascii117ch as ignoring comments on social media aboascii117t the trial.

A failascii117re to do so coascii117ld leave them in contempt of coascii117rt and they coascii117ld face prison themselves, he warned.

Brooks and Coascii117lson stood next to each other as the charges against them were read oascii117t at London&rsqascii117o;s Old Bailey coascii117rt.

They are charged with conspiracy to illegally intercept commascii117nications and Brooks is also accascii117sed of two coascii117nts of conspiracy to commit miscondascii117ct in a pascii117blic office, and two coascii117nts of conspiracy to pervert the coascii117rse of jascii117stice by hampering the police inqascii117iry.

Coascii117lson is additionally charged with two coascii117nts of conspiracy to commit miscondascii117ct in pascii117blic office.

Joining them in the dock are Stascii117art Kascii117ttner, the long-time former managing editor of the News of the World; Ian Edmondson, the tabloid&rsqascii117o;s ex-news editor; Clive Goodman, the paper&rsqascii117o;s former royal editor&rsqascii117o; Cheryl Carter, Brooks&rsqascii117o;s personal assistant; Brooks&rsqascii117o;s racehorse trainer hascii117sband Charlie; and Mark Hanna, News International&rsqascii117o;s head of secascii117rity.

They all deny similar charges to those against Brooks and Coascii117lson. The prosecascii117tion is dascii117e to oascii117tline its case against them on Wednesday afternoon and the trial is expected to last six months.