Specialist surveillance gardaí will not be allowed give evidence from behind a screen at the non-jury trial of three men accused of murdering dissident republican Peter Butterly.
Edward McGrath of Land Dale Lawns, Springfield, Tallaght; Dean Evans of Grange Park Rise, Raheny and Sharif Kelly of Pinewood Green Road, Balbriggan, all in Dublin, deny murdering the 35-year-old last year.
Their trial is due to start on Tuesday.
Peter Butterly was shot dead in the car park of the Huntsman Inn at Gormanston, Co Meath on March 6, last year.
32-year-old Edward McGrath, 22-year-old Dean Evans and 43-year-old Sharif Kelly are to be tried for his murder at the non-jury Special Criminal Court.
Before the trial got underway the prosecution argued that gardaí from the National Surveillance Unit should be allowed give evidence behind a screen without their identities being revealed to the general public or the defence.
They argued this unusual step was necessary to protect lives and the security of future garda operations
However, the court has settled on a more moderate approach. It has ruled against the media identifying the gardaí in question and it will exclude members of the public from court during their evidence.
