The Northern Secretary is to give a court details on Friday of why he ordered loyalist UDA leader, Johnny Adair back to prison.
Mr Paul Murphy revoked the licence which freed Adair under the terms of the Belfast Agreement on January 10th.
Adair was granted leave to apply for a judicial review last Friday challenging Mr Murphy's decision to put him back in jail.
During a brief hearing in the Northern Ireland High Court in Belfast yesterday, lawyers for Mr Murphy told a judge the Northern Secretary intended to file an affidavit in reply to Adair's bid for freedom.
He said: "We shall be able to do that by Friday."
Mr Justice Kerr, said he would sit again on Friday at which time he may set a date for the judicial review application.
The Northern Secretary's affidavit is expected to detail Adair's continued involvement in paramilitary activity across Northern Ireland, drugs, extortion, directing terrorism and supporting and membership of an illegal organisation.
He was returned to Maghaberry Prison, Co Antrim for the second time at the height of the feud between rival "commanders" of the UDA.
He was released last May after being returned to jail for the first time by the then Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, the previous summer.
Adair was arrested by the PSNI at his home in the lower Shankill Road area following intensification of the in-fighting which has cost five lives since September.