Gerard Hutch loses challenge to Special Criminal Court murder trial

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Gerard Hutch’s challenge to his trial for David Byrne’s murder was refused by the High Court, reported on 15 February 2022.

Hutch and Jonathan Dowdall argued that the Special Criminal Court had become a de facto permanent court and that its continued use was unlawful. The court held that the legislation set no time limit on its use, and declined to prohibit their trials.

The judgment also rejected the argument that the court’s continued operation was not being reviewed, citing evidence of ongoing reviews by the State.