Oscar Pistorius's lawyers fail to win an appeal

An attempt by Oscar Pistorius's lawyers to stop an appeal, which could see his time in prison increased, has been dismissed.

Judge Thokozile Masipa dismissed the application by Pistorius' defence lawyers to challenge the appeal by prosecutors, who were last year granted permission by Masipa to have Paralympic gold medallist’s negligent killing conviction reviewed.

Prosecutors want Pistorius found guilty of the more serious charge of murder for shooting Steenkamp through a door in a bathroom in his home on Valentine’s Day 2013.

Pistorius is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for culpable homicide - comparable to manslaughter - but could be released from jail in August to serve the remainder under house arrest.

A murder conviction would carry a minimum sentence of 15 years in jail.

"The order that I grant in this matter is to strike off the application," Judge Masipa said.

The ruling means Pistorius' case looks set to go to South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal, where a panel of judges would decide if Masipa's initial verdict to acquit Pistorius of murder at the end of the seven-month trial last year was wrong.

In December, Masipa granted prosecutors permission to take the case to the Supreme Court of Appeal and challenge her own ruling - Pistorius' lawyers had argued Masipa should not have allowed the appeal.

Pistorius did not attend Friday's proceedings and there were also no members of his or Steenkamp's family present.