The Special Criminal Court will today deliver judgment in the case of a Dublin man charged with membership of the IRA.
Mr Declan Carroll (24), of Edenmore Crescent, Raheny, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to being a member of an illegal organisation styling itself Oglaigh na h╔ireann, otherwise known as the Irish Republican Army, otherwise the IRA on November 29th, 2000.
When he took the witness stand yesterday, Mr Carroll said he was a member of Na F∅anna ╔ireann, a republican youth wing, and was never involved with an illegal organisation.
Cross-examined by Mr P.J. McCarthy SC, Mr Carroll said documents found in his bedroom during a search of his home in November 2000, originated from Na F∅anna and the internet.
Closing for the prosecution, Mr McCarthy said the documents were circumstantial evidence supportive of the opinion of Det Chief Supt Basil Walsh that Mr Carroll was a member of the IRA. He said Mr Carroll had failed to comply with section 2 of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 which allowed the court to draw inferences from Mr Carroll's refusal to answer questions relating to illegal organisations.
In his closing speech, Mr Peter Finlay SC, defending, said section 2 "was not an avenue to exploit" and that Mr Carroll had remained silent on legal advice. He conceded that the documents "could be said to be incriminating" but not without a question mark.
Mr Justice Johnson, presiding, said the court would reserve its judgment until today.