Victims legal challenge to go on

The four members of the victims commission

A High Court judge has refused to throw out a challenge to the appointment of four victims commissioners.

Mr Justice Gillen rejected arguments from counsel acting for former First Minister, Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

The judge said there were issues of public interest at stake.

The judicial review case is being taken by Michelle Williamson, whose parents were murdered in an IRA bomb attack on the Shankill Road in 1993.

The lawyer for Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness had argued the case be dismissed, as legislation was now in place allowing for the four-member commission rather than a single commissioner.

The four members of the Commission for Victims and Survivors are Brendan McAllister, Patricia McBride, Bertha McDougall and Michael Nesbitt.

The commission was created under legislation passed by the assembly last month with the aim of promoting the interests of victims and survivors.

It will work to a three-year corporate plan with programmes for each year.