Morris Tribunal The evidence of a central witness at the Morris tribunal cannot be published until imminent criminal proceedings are concluded, because such evidence might be prejudicial to the trial, Mr Justice Frederick Morris has ruled.
The witness is the first in the resumed module of the inquiry into the events surrounding the October 1996 death of Raphoe cattle dealer Mr Richie Barron.
Mr Justice Morris said he was satisfied that this case was the kind of situation the Oireachtas had in mind when amending the Tribunal of Inquiry Evidence Act in 2002, giving him the power to make such an order "where there was a risk of prejudice to criminal proceedings".
Last summer, the tribunal heard five weeks of evidence in Donegal in the same module of the inquiry which centres on how the extended McBrearty family, whose allegations of Garda harassment led to the setting up of the public inquiry, became the focus of a Garda murder investigation.
Two members of the family, Mr Frank McBrearty jnr and his cousin Mr Mark McConnell, became suspects in the murder investigation launched by Donegal gardaí.
Last year the inquiry heard Irish and British pathologists give evidence that Mr Barron most likely died as a result of being hit by a car in a hit-and-run incident.
Also at the tribunal, legal representation in the current module was granted to Eircom, and to a suspended Garda officer, Det Sgt John White. The current module of the inquiry is expected to continue until Christmas.