Former French President Jacques Chirac is due to go on trial charged with illegal party funding during his time as mayor of Paris. However, there are doubts whether the trial can go ahead as planned after a medical report found that Mr Chirac, 78, is suffering memory lapses. Mr Chirac, who denies the charges, has asked the Paris court for his lawyers to be allowed to represent him.He is the first French former leader to stand trial since World War II. Mr Chirac, who was mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995, is accused on two counts of paying members of his Rally for the Republic (RPR) party for municipal jobs that did not exist. If found guilty he faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine of 150,000 euros.