A round-up of today's other court stories in brief:
Court to rule if couple can be identified
The High Court is to be asked to decide if the media should be allowed identify a couple involved in litigation following the break-up of their live-in relationship.
The case involves the brother of a well-known radio and television personality.
Judge Alison Lindsay ruled yesterday in the Circuit Civil Court that the couple - who are involved in a legal wrangle over the beneficial interest of each in a near €1 million former home they shared for seven years - should not be identified.
Colman Fitzgerald SC, counsel for the male party, said there were parallel proceedings in the family law courts.
During the Circuit Court case it would be inevitable that reference would be made to these.
The female party had also brought a counter-claim against her former partner, claiming aggravated damages for alleged assault and battery, slander, breach of contract and the infliction of emotional suffering.
Mr Fitzgerald applied for all proceedings to be heard in camera to protect the identity of the couple's child.
Martin Hayden, counsel for the woman, said he felt the court did not have jurisdiction to hear the equity matter in camera or direct the non-publication of the identities of parties.
He later told the court he had been instructed by his client to appeal the ruling to the High Court, and asked that the matter be put back.
Judge Lindsay said the appeal should be prosecuted with all haste, and put the matter in for mention in the Circuit Court on January 17th.
Pipeline challenge case for January
A full hearing of a legal challenge to the construction of the controversial high-pressure pipeline linked to the Corrib gas field development off the Co Mayo coast will not begin before January.
The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan, yesterday dealt with a number of procedural matters related to the action being brought by Shell E&P Ireland against six people, including three men jailed for some three months as a result of their opposition to the pipeline development.
The five, known as the Rossport Five, were released from prison in September after Shell asked the court to lift the temporary injunction which had restrained interference with the pipeline.
The court has reserved its decision on whether the five will be punished for their alleged contempt. That judgment is expected shortly.
Yesterday Mr Justice Finnegan adjourned to December 12th a number of procedural matters which have to be addressed prior to the full hearing of the Shell case.
As the matters relating to amended defences and discovery have yet to be addressed, the full action will now not to be heard before January at the earliest.
Man sexually assaulted daughter
A north Co Dublin man has been found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of 26 charges of sexually assaulting his daughter over an eight-year period
He was convicted unanimously on 18 charges of indecently assaulting her and eight of sexually assaulting her on dates between 1985 and 1993.
He was found not guilty on a charge of raping her.
Mr Justice Henry Abbott remanded the man on bail for sentence on January 11th.