An application by convicted drug dealer John Gilligan for leave to refer a number of points of law in his case to the Supreme Court has been adjourned until next year.
Gilligan made the application to the Court of Criminal Appeal on the grounds that points of law of exceptional public importance are involved.
The application was to have been heard today but at the request of Gilligan's counsel, the presiding judge Mr Justice Brian McCracken, adjourned it until January 27th.
Last month, Gilligan lost an appeal against his conviction but had a 28 year sentence for having millions of pounds worth of cannabis resin for sale and supply reduced by the Court of Criminal Appeal to 20 years.
In reducing the sentence the court expressed concern that when imposing the 28 year sentence the non-jury Special Criminal Court erred in principle "in not restricting itself to the individual charges which were proved".
Gilligan had been convicted on drug charges but acquitted of the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.
While the points of law have not yet been outlined in court, they are understood to include matters concerning the State's Witness Protection Programme. A number of alleged former associates of Gilligan were placed on WPP after agreeing to testify against him.