DEFENDANTS in criminal trials are entitled to the personal details of the jury deliberating in their cases leading to major concern about potential intimidation and calls for a change in the law as "a matter of urgency".

The Sunday Tribune revealed last week that Natasha McEnroe, the partner of convicted gangland murderer Brian Rattigan, is at the centre of a major criminal investigation after the names and addresses of the jury who deliberated at his trial were found in her apartment.

It has now emerged that the book of evidence in John Gilligan's murder trial was also found at McEnroe's home. Detectives are probing why she had this in her possession and a senior source said it was a "worrying development of possible major significance".

Gilligan was found not guilty of the 1996 murder of journalist Veronica Guerin. Rattigan and Gilligan are both housed at Portlaoise prison.

Section 16 of the 1976 Juries Act states: "Every person shall be entitled to reasonable facilities to inspect a panel of jurors free of charge and a party to any proceedings, civil or criminal, to be tried with a jury shall be entitled to a copy free of charge on application to the county registrar."

While Rattigan was entitled legally to apply for details of the jury, his girlfriend Natasha McEnroe, from Drimnagh in Dublin, was not entitled to have this information in her possession.

Fine Gael's justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan said it was a "major anomaly" in the law that allows those on trial to access jurors' personal details and he has raised it with justice minister Dermot Ahern.

"The law should be reviewed. It is not appropriate to have personal details of jury members easily accessible. The law needs to be changed urgently, I have raised this with the minster," he said.

"Any interference or intimidation of jurors strikes at the heart of the criminal justice system. Any offence of interfering with a jury should be severely punished by the courts. We have to take the necessary steps to protect people serving on juries."

McEnroe's apartment in Adamstown, west Dublin, was raided by detectives 11 days ago and the jury list and the book of evidence in Gilligan's murder trial were discovered.

Garda commissioner Fachtna Murphy has ordered an investigation into the matter.

Brian Rattigan (29) was found guilty of the 2001 murder of Declan Gavin, who was stabbed to death outside a fast food outlet in Crumlin. It was the first murder in the so-called Crumlin/Drimnagh feud, which has claimed the lives of 16 people so far.

The murder trial was blighted by the intimidation of witnesses and gardaí and two officers were openly threatened with murder in court.