Supreme Court to hear appeal from alleged IRA member

A five-judge Supreme Court is to hear a legal challenge by a Dundalk man charged with IRA membership to the jurisdiction of the Special Criminal Court.

Barry O' Brien (aged 34), of Mountain Court, Dundalk, Co Louth was charged in April 2004 with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on April 6, 2004.

Today his counsel Ms Ivana Bacik BL told the Special Criminal Court that a judicial review had been taken in the High Court and was now under appeal to the Supreme Court.

She said the Supreme Court had decided last month that a five-judge court should deal with the appeal and a date has yet to be fixed for that hearing.

Ms Bacik said that the point at issue is about the jurisdiction of the Special Criminal Court.

The court agreed to the request to adjourn the case pending the outcome of the Supreme Court appeal and remanded O’ Brien on continuing bail.