Italy's highest court has overturned the conviction of a British lawyer found guilty of taking a bribe from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
The BBC reports the ruling by a judge in the Cassation Court means a parallel corruption case against Mr Berlusconi could also now be dropped.
Mr Berlusconi denies accusations of corrupting Mr Mills.
The judge said the current trial was beyond the limit for prosecution set by Italian law. The offence was said to have taken place in November 1999.
David Mills, the estranged husband of UK cabinet minister Tessa Jowell, was convicted in 2009 of taking a bribe from Mr Berlusconi.
After his conviction in February last year, Mr Mills was ordered to pay 250,000 euros to the Italian government. He also faced a prison sentence.
A court in Milan rejected an appeal in October against his conviction.
