Courts / Dublin / Report

New Special Criminal Court sits for first time

Summary

The second Special Criminal Court sat for the first time at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin today. The court, which will be known as Special Criminal Court Number 2, dealt with four cases transferred to it by Special Criminal Court Number 1. Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding at Special Criminal Court Number 1, stated that the court had decided on its own motion to transfer the cases for trial to court Number 2 under the provisions of the Offences Against the State Act of 1939. Following the transfer order, the second Special Criminal Court sat at Court 17 with Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy of the High Court presiding, along with Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain of the Circuit Court and Judge Gerard Haughton of the District Court. Ms Anne Marie Lawlor BL, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, outlined the court's jurisdiction and presented documents, including the order establishing the second Special Criminal Court of December 14th, 2004, and the coming into existence of the second court on October 28th last year, when seven judges were appointed to the new court. The first case dealt with by court number 2 was that of Séamus McGrane (60), of Little Road, Domiskin, Co Louth, who is charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hÉireann otherwise the IRA within the State between December 23 2009 and May 13 2015. He is also charged with directing the activities of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA, in respect of which a suppression order had been made, within the State on dates between December 23 2009 and May 13 2015 inclusive. His co-accused Donal O Coisdealbha (23), of Abbeyfield, Killester Dublin 15, is charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hÉireann otherwise the IRA within the State on May 13 2015. Mr O Coisdealbha is also charged with possession of a component part of an improvised explosive device namely a time and power unit also known as a TPU at 'the personal storage locker under the control of Donal O Coisdealbha at Protector Life Sciences, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Co Kildare' under such circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable suspicion that he had not got it in his possession for a lawful purpose on May 13 2015. Mr Bernard Condon, SC for McGrane said he was reserving his position on the proceedings of the court and the jurisdiction of the new court. Ms Anne Rowland BL, for O Coisdealbha, said she was also reserving her position on the proceedings and the jurisdiction of the court. Ms Justice Kennedy, presiding, adjourned the case until next Thursday and made a production order that the two accused, who are in custody, should be brought before court number 2 then. She also adjourned the cases of two other men, Joseph Finnegan and Ryan Glennon, who are on bail until next Thursday.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: New Special Criminal Court sits for first time. Charges or matters: membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hÉireann otherwise the IRA within the State between December 23 2009 and May 13 2015; membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hÉireann otherwise the IRA within the State on May 13 2015. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• December 14th, 2004 Hearing Or Sentence
• October 28th Hearing Or Sentence
• December 23 2009 Other
• May 13 2015 Incident
• May 26th, 1972 Adjournment
• May 30th, 1972 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2016-05-06 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial

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Read the original CNI report