Reid to challenge inquiry's legal fees

Fourteen civilians died after Bloody Sunday shootings

New rates of pay awarded to QCs and barristers at the Bloody Sunday tribunal are to be challenged in the High Court by the Northern Ireland Secretary, John Reid.

Dr Reid has been given leave to apply for judicial review of the rates, which have taken the daily rate of senior barristers to £1,750.

The Saville Inquiry is examining the events of 30 January 1972 when 13 civilians were shot dead by British paratroopers after a civil rights march in Londonderry.

A 14th person died later.

You cannot put a price on truth and justice

John Kelly
Spokesperson for the families

The Northern Ireland Office pays for the legal teams representing the inquiry and the families of those killed and wounded while the Ministry of Defence pays for the legal teams representing the soldiers.

Recently, the families' legal teams made submissions to a senior cost judge in London and he has recommended the increase in the daily rate for a senior barrister from £1,500 to £1,750.

The barristers can also claim up to £750 a day for preparation work and £125 an hour travelling to and from the Guildhall.

Junior barristers' daily fees will rise from £750 to £875, and preparation rates from £100 to £125 an hour. They also receive £62.50 for travelling time.

However, Dr Reid wants the rises quashed on the grounds that the costs judge has not taken into account the rates paid to lawyers in other publicly funded cases in Northern Ireland.

A spokesman for the families John Kelly, whose brother Michael was killed, said he was not interested in what people were paid as he "could not put a price on truth and justice".

A full hearing on the costs is expected next year.

On Tuesday, the Court of Appeal in London was told soldiers involved in Bloody Sunday would be protected if they travelled to Londonderry to give evidence.

Lawyers for the Bloody Sunday Inquiry are challenging a decision that allows military witnesses to give evidence in Britain.

Last month a judicial review ruled that the lives of up to 400 former and serving soldiers would be at risk if they attended the proceedings at the Guildhall in Derry.

'Inhibited'

Counsel for the inquiry Christopher Clark QC said the findings of the judicial review were "flawed".

He referred to a meeting held by senior security force personnel last June, when an RUC officer concluded that protection could be offered to military witnesses if they travelled to Derry.

Mr Clark said there was no evidence that by making the soldiers give evidence in Derry they would be "inhibited or it would be unfair to them".

The appeal is expected to last two days and it is thought judgment will be reserved.

Immunity

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry, chaired by Lord Saville of Newdigate, was established in 1998 by UK 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.

The new inquiry has been sitting in public in Derry's Guildhall for more than a year and is expected to run for another two years.

Witnesses to the inquiry are immune from prosecution on issues arising from their evidence.

It is aimed solely at establishing the facts of what happened.