Government refuses to scrap no-jury courts

The Government has indicated it is not ready to scrap the no-jury anti-terrorist Dublin Special Criminal Court, introduced 30 years ago following the emergence of the Provisional IRA and other paramilitary organisations.

Justice Minister Michael Justice Mr McDowell defended the use of the three-judge court in the face of what he called “an agenda of evil” that was determined to bring Northern Ireland to a state of “undeclared civil war”.