Jonathan Dowdall’s murder trial stay lifted by High Court

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

Jonathan Dowdall’s stay on his trial for the murder of David Byrne was lifted by the High Court on 8 September 2021.

The decision cleared the way for the Special Criminal Court to set a trial date. Dowdall is charged with murdering Byrne at the Regency Hotel in Whitehall, Dublin 9, on 5 February 2016.

Dowdall had challenged the Special Criminal Court’s jurisdiction, arguing that his trial there would breach his constitutional and European Convention on Human Rights rights. The challenge remained opposed by the respondents.