The Special Criminal Court yesterday fixed a date in October for the trial of Maze prison escaper Brendan "Bik" McFarlane on charges connected with the 1983 kidnap of supermarket boss Don Tidey.
Last month the Supreme Court cleared the way for the trial, upholding an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions against an earlier High Court order to stop McFarlane's trial going ahead at the Special Criminal Court.
The Special Criminal Court fixed October 3rd as the date for his trial.
McFarlane (52), of Jamaica Street, Belfast, was charged in January 1998 with falsely imprisoning Mr Tidey in 1983 and with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life at Derrada Wood, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, in November and December 1983.
McFarlane had been in prison at the Maze since 1975 for his part in the IRA bombing of a bar on the Shankill Road in which five people were killed.
He was the leader of the Provisional IRA prisoners at the Maze prison and escaped in the mass breakout by 38 prisoners in September, 1983.
Mr Tidey was kidnapped by an IRA gang in 1983 and rescued after 23 days in captivity.
McFarlane's counsel, Stephen McCann, told the court yesterday that following the Supreme Court decision, his lawyers intended to make a fresh application for judicial review of the case at the High Court in the next law term.
He said that the original judicial review proceedings began in 1999 and only concluded last month.