Gerry Hutch and Jonathan Dowdall lose bid to stop their Special Criminal Court trials

The court also ruled that the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission did not meet the legal requirements to be formally joined as an amicus curiae or friend to the court in the proceedings

Gerry Hutch (pictured) and former Dublin City Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall are both charged with the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in Dublin. File photo: Courtpix

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal aimed at halting the pending trials of Gerry Hutch and ex-Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall before the non-jury Special Criminal Court (SCC).

In what was a unanimous decision on Friday morning, the five-judge Supreme Court cleared the way for the trials to proceed before the SCC.