Leading criminal barrister Robert Richter will not be in George Pell’s legal team for the appeal against the Cardinal’s conviction for child sex offences, partly because he was too emotionally involved in the case and angry at the guilty verdict.

Mr Richter QC told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that he felt he did not have “sufficient objectivity at this stage” to participate in the challenge set to be heard in Victoria’s Court of Appeal.

Robert Richter QC arrives at Melbourne Magistrates Court with George Pell in July 2017. Credit:Joe Armao

“I am very angry about the verdict,” he said, “because it was perverse”.

However, he has denied that he "quit" the legal team, and said if need be, he was available to be consulted.