'Slab' Murphy bids to halt trial

Thomas "Slab" Murphy has won a judicial review

The alleged former leader of the IRA, Thomas "Slab" Murphy, has been given permission to challenge his trial in Dublin on tax evasion charges.

Mr Murphy, 56, from Hackballscross in County Louth, is being prosecuted after an investigation by the Garda Criminal Assets Bureau.

He was granted a judicial review of the decision to try him at the non-jury Special Criminal Court.

The High Court proceedings will be heard on 18 November.

The charges allege Mr Murphy failed to furnish a return of his income, profits or gains for the years 1996/97 to 2004.

He was returned for trial to the Special Criminal Court last January from Dundalk District Court.

The court had remanded Mr Murphy on continuing bail until the end of December to allow the judicial review to proceed.

He was in court for the brief hearing on Wednesday.

The Special Criminal Court normally deals with terrorist-related offences.

However, the Director of Public Prosecutions has the discretion in any case to certify that ordinary courts are inadequate to deal with it and to send it for trial to the three-judge non-jury court.