A district court judge is to review documents relating to a garda operation codenamed 'bedrock', to see what relevance it has to campaigners opposing the route of the M3 motorway through the Tara / Skryne valley.
At Navan District Court today, Judge John Brophy refused a defence request to step aside from hearing the case, telling barristers that they could go to the High Court if they were dissatisfied with his decision.
Before the court were ten campaigners who face a variety of public offences arising out of protests at site works on the route of the motorway.
Judge Brophy told the court that after he reviewed the documents relating to Operation Bedrock he would decide if they relate to the defendants. If they did he would allow only their legal teams to see the documents.
Barrister for some of the defendants, David Whelehan, asked the judge to disqualify himself from hearing the case when it does go ahead, saying he had already dealt with other similar cases.
However, the judge rejected the request and set 21 January as a date for the hearing of the case.
