State to argue future of non-jury SCC should be left to politicians

Claim that the Special Criminal Court is underpinned by “temporary” or “emergency” legislation will also be rejected by government

Jonathan Dowdall, a former Sinn Féin councillor, charged with the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in Dublin in February 2016 claims that his trial before the Special Criminal Coirt is unlawful and outside the powers of the 1939 Offences Against the State Act. Picture: Rollingnews.ie

It is for politicians to decide on the future of the non-jury Special Criminal Court, the state will argue as part of a high-profile case challenging its legality.

It will also reject a claim that the Special Criminal Court (SCC) is underpinned by “temporary” or “emergency” legislation, as alleged by Jonathan Dowdall, a former Sinn Féin councillor charged with the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in Dublin in February 2016.

A judicial ...