The Special Criminal Court sat for the last time in Green Street courthouse today, presided over by Mr Justice Paul Butler, sitting with Circuit Court Judge Alison Lindsay and District Court Judge William Hammill.
Since it was set up under the Offences Against the State Act, the court has been composed of by a judge from each of the High, Circuit and District Court, rather than a judge and jury.
During today's sitting it dealt with five matters, all of which were adjourned until the New Year, when the court will be sitting in the new Criminal Court complex in Parkgate St, Dublin 7.
Among the cases mentioned was that of Thomas “Slab” Murphy, who is challenging his prosecution by the Criminal Assets Bureau on tax-related charges.
For the first time in the court’s history, photographers were permitted in to take photographs of the three judges sitting. At the outset of the brief sitting Mr Justice Butler acknowledged this would be the last time the Special Criminal Court would sit in the historic courthouse, and looked forward to sitting in the new complex.
The new complex will be fully operational when the courts open on January 11th, when the Court of Criminal Appeal will sit there, presided over by the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Murray. All criminal trials previously heard in Dublin courts, from District Court to the Court of Criminal Appeal, will be heard there.
The Special Criminal Court has been housed in Green Street, which was the scene of the trial of Robert Emmet, since 1972, and has heard all the major terrorist-related trials of the IRA campaign of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.