Gerry Adams's brother hands himself in to police over sexual abuse claims

Liam Adams's legal team want charges levelled against Sinn Féin president's brother to be heard in an Irish court, where they believe he will get a fairer trial than in Northern Ireland

Gerry Adams's brother will seek to have the child abuse charges levelled against him heard in an Irish court rather than one in Northern Ireland, legal sources close to Liam Adams have indicated.

The brother of the Sinn Féin president handed himself in to the Garda Síochána today. Liam Adams was initially detained at Dublin's Bridewell Garda station.

The republican leader's brother was then brought to the nearby Four Courts flanked by two gardai.

A brief hearing on his extradition was expected to take place in front of the president of the high court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, this afternoon.

The Guardian has learned that Liam Adams's legal team will argue that their client has a right to have the case against heard in the Irish Republic, where they will contend he will get a fairer trial than in Northern Ireland.

His legal team will point to the case of Gerard Mackin, of Belfast. In 2008 Mackin became the first person to be convicted by a Dublin court for a murder carried out in Northern Ireland. The case created legal history.

Mackin was jailed for life by the non-jury special criminal court after he was found guilty of killing Belfast taxi driver Eddie Burns in the city in 2007.

Gardai started searching for Liam Adams on Wednesday after a European arrest warrant was issued for him.

He is wanted in connection with allegations that he sexually abused his daughter Aine.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland is seeking his extradition from the Irish Republic.

The warrant, which was issued by the Home Office, was endorsed by the high court in Dublin on Wednesday evening.

Adams handed himself in to a police station in the Irish Republic last December, but Irish police could not legally detain him then without a warrant.

His alleged victim, Aine Tyrell, waived her right to anonymity late last year to allege that her father had molested her, claiming that the abuse included rape.

Adams was due to appear in court in Northern Ireland in November 2008 to face 23 charges relating to the alleged abuse, but he failed to show up.

His brother, the Sinn Féin president, who has known about the allegations for over 20 years, has come under pressure to explain why he did not do more to prevent his brother from working with children while the claims were investigated.

But after his brother went voluntarily to Sligo police station, Sinn Féin sources said Gerry Adams was "astonished" that no European warrant had been issued, more than a year after he had failed to appear in court.

As a result of the controversy Gerry Adams later revealed that his father, Gerry Adams Sr, had sexually abused a number of members of his own family. Up until then Gerry Adams Sr had been revered as an IRA veteran within republicanism.

Liam Adams has also been accused of working as an informer within the IRA and it is also alleged that the security forces knew but did nothing about the allegations of child abuse levelled against him.