Martha Stewart built an empire on recipes and decorating tips

Ms Stewart, who back in March was convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice, has seen the date put back from July 8 to July 16.

The delay has been granted by the judge considering her request for a retrial.

Ms Stewart's lawyers argue that her conviction should be thrown out because a federal witness at her trial has since been charged with perjury.

The conviction against Ms Stewart centred on a tip-off she received from her stockbroker, information that enabled her to save a few thousand pounds by selling shares in a company just days before its price plummeted.

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Ms Stewart denied that this was the case, but the court found against her, and she could be facing a year in jail.

At issue regarding her call for the charges to be thrown out is the testimony given during her court case by US Secret Service laboratory director Larry Stewart - no relation.

He has been charged with lying while testifying as an expert witness about ink on a worksheet kept by Martha Stewart's stockbroker. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

US prosecutors said requests for a new trial "fail because they cannot meet their burden to show that Mr Stewart's false testimony had any effect on the jury's verdict."

They also said there was "overwhelming" evidence that Martha Stewart and her former broker Peter Bacanovic were guilty and the evidence was "wholly independent" of the lab director's testimony.