Supreme Court urged to say non-jury trials of Gerry Hutch and Jonathan Dowdall 'unlawful'

Gerry Hutch and Jonathan Dowdall are both charged with the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel

Brendan Grehan SC, for Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch (pictured) argued the Executive and the State had misinterpreted the legislation which allows the denial of the right to trial by jury. File picture: Courtpix

The Supreme Court has been urged to rule that the pending trials of Gerry Hutch and ex-Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall in the non-jury Special Criminal Court (SCC) would be unlawful.

This is because the SCC has become a de facto permanent court when the relevant legislation only provides that it be temporary, the five-judge Supreme Court heard.