Courts / Limerick / Report
"Surprise" over government plans for second non-jury court
Summary
Reports that the Government intends to establish a second Special Criminal Court have surprised legal practitioners, despite existing legislation. The current non-jury court faces a significant backlog, with the earliest available trial date in June 2017. Establishing a second court requires new judicial panels, additional resources for the DPP and Gardaí, and a secure location, potentially Cloverhill, as the current Court 11 at the Criminal Courts of Justice is fully utilized. The court currently has 34 people before it and 19 fixed trials scheduled through early 2017. Notable recent proceedings include the July 2014 sentencing of Wayne Dundon and Nathan Killeen, who were convicted of the murder of Limerick businessman Roy Collins and jailed for life following a 29-day trial. Additionally, the trial of three men accused of the murder of dissident republican Peter Butterly collapsed in January after 55 days due to disclosure issues; the matter was adjourned for a retrial in January 2017, and the accused were released on bail. A separate 21-day trial of seven Dublin men accused of dissident republican membership ended with their acquittal earlier this year. The Special Criminal Court, established in 1972, has historically handled cases related to the Troubles and more recently dissident republican and gangland activity.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Surprise" over government plans for second non-jury court. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- June 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 1972 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2015-10-27 Publication
Why: Court 11 is a special designed court with extra security measures in place because of the nature of the trials heard there. CNI source report
Case subjects
Accused
Outcome: Wayne Dundon and Nathan Killeen were jailed for life by the court in July 2014 after a 29-day trial when they were convicted of the murder of Limerick businessman Roy Collins.
Places mentioned
- Special Criminal Court
- The Special Criminal Court
- Parkgate Street
- Green Street
- Green Street courthouse
Topics
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