Curtin's legal team fails to get an adjournment

The Dáil committee inquiring into alleged misconduct by Circuit Court judge Brian Curtin yesterday refused a request from his…

The Dáil committee inquiring into alleged misconduct by Circuit Court judge Brian Curtin yesterday refused a request from his legal team for a further adjournment of hearings due to start on Monday.

In a letter to the judge, the committee said it needed to move forward on the issue and to complete the work it was tasked to do.

Committee sources said last night there is an expectation that Judge Curtin will seek a judicial review in the High Court today or Monday preventing the hearings going ahead.

The private hearings were due to start last Monday but Judge Curtin's legal team requested a six- week adjournment. The committee agreed to adjourn for one week.

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On Wednesday the committee received a letter from Judge Curtin requesting a further adjournment. The committee refused that request by letter yesterday.

Committee chairman, Fianna Fáil TD Denis O'Donovan, said last night that 18 witnesses are on standby for the start of the hearings and the committee members have cleared their diaries for the next two weeks.

He said the committee was set up under article 35.4 (1) and 30 months on there was an onus on it to do its work. He added that the committee would meet "head on" any attempt by Judge Curtin to further delay proceedings.

The committee is to report to the Dáil on allegations relating to the discovery of child pornography on Judge Curtin's computer.

Judge Curtin was charged with possession of pornography following a Garda search in May 2002. He pleaded not guilty and was acquitted on direction of the court in 2004 as the search warrant in the case was out of date.