A date has been fixed for the case taken by the Mahon tribunal against a journalist to force him to reveal the identity of the person who provided him with confidential tribunal documents.
Mr Barry O'Kelly, who writes for the Sunday Business Post, has so far refused to reveal the source of the leak.
The case will be heard in the High Court on March 8th.
At the High Court today Mr Eoin McCullough SC, representing Mr O'Kelly and his newspaper's owners, Post Publications, said he was anxious for the case to be heard as soon as possible.
Fixing the date, the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan said he anticipated that the facts in the case would not be in dispute.
Mr O'Kelly published a series of articles based on confidential documents last year. The tribunal claimed the articles had led to complaints from certain witnesses and had made it more difficult to carry out its task.
Mr O'Kelly has admitted destroying confidential material to protect his sources. He has said he was fully aware of the consequences of his actions but did not expect to be sent to jail.
He was accompanied in court by Mr Cliff Taylor, the editor of the Sunday Business Post, and Mr Anthony Dinan, the managing director of the Post's owners, Thomas Crosbie Holdings.
The tribunal has obtained a temporary injunction that prevents the Sunday Business Postand other newspapers from publishing confidential tribunal material. Mr Justice Finnegan today ordered the injunction to continue.
The case is expected to last three days.
PA