Murder, rape, and terrorism cases in doubt over Garda scandal

Trials and convictions of suspected murderers, rapists, terrorists, and other serious criminals are in jeopardy as the fallout from the Garda bugging scandal becomes clearer.

In a hint of the potential damage from the illegal recordings, judges in the country’s highest criminal courts have been told to establish if the cases before them have been affected by the practice before proceeding to hear them.

Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, president of the High Court, issued the direction to judges of the Central Criminal Court and Special Criminal Court amid fears that cases could collapse mid-trial.