Three dissident Ulster Unionist MPs are to challenge their suspension from the party in the High Court in Belfast, it emerged tonight.
Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, Rev Martin Smyth and Mr David Burnside will seek an injunction tomorrow to overturn the decision of the party's disciplinary committee to suspend them.
Lawyers acting for the three men will ask a judge to rule on whether the party acted properly in its decision to suspend them before a disciplinary hearing on July 17th.
The MPs were suspended last week after they resigned the Parliamentary whip. The move is likely to prove an unwelcome distraction for Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble who is to face a vote of no confidence in his constituency next week.
Last month dissidents in the Upper Bann constituency gathered 30 signatures to call a special meeting to put forward a motion of no confidence in Mr Trimble as their MP.
The motion, to be debated on July 8th, was tabled amid the row between Mr Trimble and anti-Good Friday Agreement Mr Donaldson in the run up to a meeting of the party's ruling Ulster Unionist Council.
Mr Donaldson failed at the meeting to get the council to back his demand for members to reject the British and Irish government's Joint Declaration plans for the restoration of devolved government.
Motions of no confidence in Mr Trimble and Mr Donaldson were tabled by rival factions in their two constituencies on the same day.