A High Court judge has ruled that a legal challenge to permission for a proposed Slane bypass can proceed to the Court of Appeal. John Rogers of Crewbane, Slane, is contesting the decision relating to the bypass and argues that the scheme would affect his lands. In a judgment, Judge David Nolan indicated he had “serious doubts” about whether the relevant commission had the necessary expertise to address “important issues” raised in the case. The court’s ruling specifies that the matter can be taken forward to the Court of Appeal to clarify legal questions, including two points of law identified by the judge. The decision follows an earlier judgment in April in which Nolan raised concerns about the commission’s capacity to deal with issues presented by Rogers’s challenge. The overall effect of the ruling is that the challenge is not concluded at High Court level and will be examined further by the Court of Appeal regarding the applicable legal framework and related matters. Proceedings now shift to the appellate stage as the dispute over the bypass permission continues.