The Dutch Supreme Court verdict on the extradition of Veronica Guerin murder suspect Mr Brian Meehan has been delayed. The court had been due to deliver its judgment today on the handing-over of Mr Meehan to the Irish authorities.
According to a spokesman for the court, the ruling is now expected within a fortnight but could take longer, to give the five-judge court more time for deliberations. This is understood to be caused by a long backlog in cases.
Should the court decide to return the 32-year-old Dubliner, as expected, to Ireland, a further delay would follow because under Dutch law all extradition cases ultimately are decided by the Minister for Justice.
Mr Meehan, who has been held in solitary confinement in the Netherlands' top-security prison since his arrest in Amsterdam last October, is suspected of being the driver of the motorbike from which the pillion passenger shot dead the journalist in Clondalkin, Co Dublin, on June 26th, 1996.
Since last November his extradition battle has been going through the Dutch judicial system. In December the Amsterdam extradition court decided it was legally admissible to hand him over to the Garda.
But Mr Meehan's lawyer has claimed that his client will be denied a fair trial in Ireland because of widespread publicity.
Another Irishman is also awaiting trial in Amsterdam and this, too, could be a long-drawn-out court process.
Mr George Mitchell (47) from Drimnagh, Dublin, will appear before Harlem District Court on June 12th. It is expected that the hearing will be adjourned after opening submissions.
A spokesman for the Public Prosecutor's Office said its investigations would not be complete and the trial could eventually run into August or September next.
Charged with Mr Mitchell in connection with a £5 million computer parts robbery from an Irish truck in the Netherlands is lorry driver Mr Thomas Massey from Co Meath.
Both men have been in custody since early March, together with a Dutch national, Mr Johann Bolung.