A High Court challenge by 36 gardai to the inquiry by an Oireachtas subcommittee into the fatal shooting of Mr John Carthy in Abbeylara, Co Longford, is unlikely to be heard until July.
The subcommittee is not expected to sit again until after the court proceedings.
Mr Justice Kelly yesterday set dates for the exchange of documents between the sides and adjourned the case until June 28th, when it is hoped to fix a date for the hearing in the next law term, which concludes on July 31st.
Mr Sean Ryan SC, for the subcommittee of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, said the case was urgent, important and complex. The subcommittee hearings had been adjourned since April 30th because of the legal proceedings.
Three weeks had elapsed before papers in the case were served on Friday last and time was required to respond.