The judge in the trial of three former Anglo Irish Bank executives has ruled that the issue of whether legal advice was obtained in relation to loans advanced in July 2008 is irrelevant to their guilt or innocence.

Pat Whelan, Willie McAteer and Sean FitzPatrick deny charges of providing unlawful financial assistnce to the so-called Maple Ten and members of Sean Quinn's family to buy shares in Anglo.

Our Courts Correspondent Francesca Comyn reports: