A cousin of the Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, was given the go-ahead yesterday to challenge a decision by the North's DPP not to prosecute RUC officers alleged to have beaten him up.
Mr David Adams was awarded record damages of £30,000 against the RUC last year for injuries he received following his arrest during an IRA murder attempt on a senior detective. He was later sentenced to 25 years for conspiracy to murder.
The assaults on Mr Adams (40) were investigated by Mr Jim Orr, Assistant Chief Constable of Strathclyde, and following receipt of his report the DPP decided not to recommend prosecutions against RUC officers.
Legal argument in the High Court in Belfast centred on the DPP's failure to provide reasons for his decision.
Mr Arthur Harvey QC said that in the light of the compensation award against law enforcement officers, the DPP did not meet the requirements of Mr Adams by simply informing him that a prosecution did not have a reasonable prospect of success.
Granting leave to apply for a judicial review, Mr Justice Kerr said this should not be taken as an indication of the outcome.
The DPP's lawyers have to file replying affidavits by December 13th, when a date for the hearing will probably be fixed.