When will Pistorius' trial begin?

Some high-profile or important cases in South Africa have been fast-tracked and pushed through within a month, but that is "highly, highly exceptional." What is more likely, said Grant, is that the trial would get under way within about six months.

Examples include the fast-tracking of trials during the 2010 World Cup.

How long is it expected to last?

If the trial follows an ordinary course, Grant said, he would expect it to last four to six months -- but that would depend on how aggressively the defense challenged the prosecution case.

"They could dispute everything, in which case there could be 'trials within trials,' " he said.

But he said the defense would have to balance that "against not appearing to challenge things for the sake of it" and alienating the court.

Grant's understanding is that there are few witnesses that could be called -- neighbors among them -- but that if character was to be raised as an issue, "it could cause an explosion of witnesses."

"It could just drag on forever."

What about appeals?

If the trial is heard in a magistrates' court and Pistorius is convicted, he could potentially appeal from the magistrates' court, to the high court, to the supreme court and even eventually to South Africa's constitutional court.

If the initial court did not give him leave to appeal, he could petition South Africa's chief justice for permission.

The right to appeal depends on whether, based on the facts of the case, the initial judge or magistrate believes a different court could possibly reach a different verdict.

South Africa's highest court, the constitutional court, used to be only for cases regarding constitutional matters, but a recent act of parliament broadened its remit.

Why have the media been able to publish speculation?

At the time of the bail hearing, Grant said he believed the sort of opinions being expressed about the case in South Africa's media had been responsible.

"At this point in time, all we can do is speculate," he said. "The right of freedom of the media, the right of freedom of speech is entrenched in our constitution and is highly respected."

But he said that right had to be balanced against the privacy rights of the accused and whether speculation would jeopardize their right to a fair trial.

If media were reporting information only they were privy to that could affect the case, for example, that could be regarded as "improper and irresponsible," although still may not breach contempt of court laws.

What are the sentencing guidelines for premeditated murder?

For premeditated murder, the mandatory sentence in South Africa is a life sentence, which in practice is 25 years unless someone can prove extraordinary circumstances.

Extraordinary circumstances could include a combination of number of factors: for example, that it was a first offense, the age of the person and in Pistorius' case, his disability and the impact this could have had on his actions.

However, Grant said if the court accepted the prosecution's case -- that Pistorius chased Steenkamp into the bathroom and "hunted" her down -- his defense team would be hard-pressed to convince the court that there should be any considerations that should override the repugnance that should be felt.

What happens if Pistorius is found not guilty of premeditated murder?

If Pistorius faces trial for premeditated murder but is found not guilty, he would face a "competent verdict" or lesser charge of culpable homicide, which is based on negligence.