Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan has urged appeal judges to speed up "justice" in his long legal battle with the News of the World.
The Sunday tabloid is contesting a jury award of £200,000 over stories which claimed Mr Sheridan cheated on his wife, Gail, and visited a seedy swinger's club in Manchester.
They say they have new evidence to back their claim that the MSP and his supporters are lying - including a secretly video taped confession by Mr Sheridan The civil case at the Court of Session in Edinburgh last July and August also sparked a police investigation into possible perjury by witnesses.
Alistair Clarke, counsel for the publishers, told the court that Lothian and Borders Police had asked lawyers for News Group Newspapers to stay away from witnesses.
The police said any attempt to take statements might hinder their own on-going investigations.
Mr Clarke asked Lord Gill, sitting with Lords Osborne and Macfadyen, to abandon an appeal hearing, planned for December.
The lawyer said waiting for the police inquiries to finish would not give time to prepare for the appeal.
"We will be hamstrung if we comply with the police request," he said.
But Mr Sheridan blasted delaying tactics, pointing out that it was back in November 2004 when the offending newspaper articles appeared.
He said the December appeal should go ahead.
"I think that should proceed as planned. We have waited long enough to get to this situation and I do think that in the interests of justice a bit more speed is required rather than putting on the brakes."
Lord Gill turned down the newspaper publishers' request for a delay but ordered another procedural hearing in September to review the situation.
Back in August Mr Sheridan won record damages when a jury decided the Sunday tabloid stories were defamatory.
The socialist MSP - who had conducted a major part of his case himself since dramatically sacking his legal team - had asked for pounds 200,000, and got it.
He claimed that the expose articles in November 2004 which branded him a love rat and a hypocrite for indulging in group sex orgies and visiting a swingers' club were untrue and defamatory.
News Group Newspapers, publishers of the News of the World had stoutly defended their claim during 23 days of evidence and speeches. But they failed to shake the man who once topped an opinion poll as Scotland's most reliable politician.
Members of the public had queued day after day to listen to lurid evidence about alleged cocaine and champagne-fuelled orgies.
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