High Court challenges may delay Kevin Lunney abduction trial

One of the accused was granted permission last August to challenge the decision to try him before the three-judge court.

Luke O'Reilly (centre) pictured last year being taken from Virginia District Court. He is one of four defendants who were sent forward for trial before the Special Criminal Court last March. File picture: Collins

The trial of four men accused of falsely imprisoning and assaulting Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) director Kevin Lunney may not go ahead in January due to High Court challenges being brought by the defendants against the Special Criminal Court's jurisdiction to try the matter, the non-jury court has heard.

One of the accused men, who cannot be named for legal reasons, brought judicial review proceedings before the High Court last August challenging the decision to try him before the three-judge court and he was granted permission on an ex-parte (one side only) basis to bring his challenge. The Special Criminal Court heard today that the three other defendants have adopted the same position as their co-accused.