The Special Criminal Courthasturned down an application by lawyers for John Gilligan to adjourn a hearing on the confiscation of over £14 million of his assets.
Gilligan's counsel Mr Michael O'Higgins SC had asked the court to adjourn the hearing pending the outcome of a constitutional challenge to the Criminal Justice Act of 1994 under which the courts can confiscate the assets of convicted drugs-dealers.
But todayMr Justice Diarmuid O'Donovan, presiding, said it would be "wholly inappropriate and unthinkable" for a criminal trial to be adjourned to allow a constitutional challenge to proceed in the superior courts.
The judge said the court would proceed with hearing the application by the DPP to confiscate Gilligan's assets but he said that it is always open to Gilligan to apply to the High Court for an order prohibiting the proceedings.
The court adjourned the case until July 9th when it will hear preliminary submissions from Mr O'Higgins on the application.
The State is seeking to confiscate £14.2 million it alleges were Gilligan's profits from importing 20,000 kilos of cannabis resin into the State over two years.
Gilligan is serving a 28-year prison sentence imposed by the Special Criminal Court on March 15th last for importing cannabis resin.
He was cleared of the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin on June 26th, 1996.