An application for a judicial review of the court order requesting the Northern Editor of the Sunday Tribune, Mr Ed Moloney, to hand over notes of interviews conducted with a man charged with the killing of the Belfast solicitor, Mr Pat Finucane, will be made today, writes Clare Murphy in Belfast. The leave to apply for a judicial review, a request lodged by Mr Moloney's legal representation, will be heard at the Belfast High Court at 9.30 p.m.
The court order, issued by detectives involved in the Stevens inquiry into the killing, instructed Mr Moloney to hand over his notes of conversations with Mr William Stobie, who has pleaded not guilty and has alleged he was an RUC informer at the time of the killing in 1989. The journalist has refused to hand over his notes despite Antrim County Court upholding the order, which expires tomorrow. Mr Moloney faces an unlimited fine and/or up to five years' imprisonment if he is deemed to have breached the order. A spokeswoman for the Human Rights Commission said last night that it was maintaining a watching brief on the case.