Lawyers, witnesses and other interested parties arrived at a court house in Italy's Grosseto on Wednesday (July 17) for the trial of Francesco Schettino, the former captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship. The ship capsized off Italy's coast last year killing 32 people.

After a delay caused by a lawyers' strike earlier this month, the trial resumed on Wednesday in the town of Grosseto on Italy's west coast.

Schettino faces charges including manslaughter and causing the loss of his ship over the accident in January 2012 when the huge liner struck a rock off the picturesque island of Giglio and keeled onto its side, setting off a chaotic night evacuation of more than 4,000 passengers and crew.

Schettino, 52, is accused of abandoning ship before all crew and passengers had been rescued.

His lawyers argue that he prevented an even worse disaster by steering the 290 metre (950 foot) vessel into shallow waters after the impact and that he was thrown overboard due to the angle of the leaning ship.

The trial began on July 9 but was immediately suspended because lawyers involved were taking part in a nationwide strike against measures to streamline civil trials.

Wednesday's hearing is expected to focus on requests by various people and institutions who wish to be represented as plaintiffs, before the main arguments begin later in the week

Presented by Adam Justice