Tribunal 'could face more delays'

Soldiers shot 13 people dead in Derry on Bloody Sunday

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry could be facing further delays following an unprecedented demand for access to lawyers' files.

Lord Saville and his fellow judges were expected to deliver the findings next year, more than seven years after Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the inquiry.

Since March 2000, more than 900 witnesses gave evidence about the events of 30 January 1972 when 13 civilians were shot dead by members of the Parachute Regiment in the Bogside area of Londonderry. A 14th person died later.

On Friday, it emerged that the tribunal has written to the legal teams, the government, the police and MI5 to request details of notes and correspondence with witnesses which had been confidential until recently.

It followed a Court of Appeal ruling in a separate case in England which found that this sort of material was no longer privileged.

Those involved in the tribunal had been required to provide all relevant material, but documents covered by legal professional privilege, such as solicitors' notes taken during interviews with witnesses, were exempt.

Lord Saville's report is not expected until 2005

The legal teams are currently considering their positions but may refuse to hand over the material or challenge the tribunal's demand in the courts.

If that happens, the tribunal could face further delays and costs.

Even if the legal teams agreed to hand over the material, finding the relevant parts of the various documents will be a time-consuming process.

Lord Saville of Newdigate and the Commonwealth judges accompanying him on the Bloody Sunday inquiry began their work nearly four years ago.

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry was established in 1998 by Prime Minister Tony Blair after a campaign by families of those killed and injured.

They felt that the Widgery Inquiry, held shortly after the shootings, did not find out the truth about what happened on Bloody Sunday.