Judgement due in Omagh civil suit

The 1998 explosion killed 29 people and unborn twins

Judgement is expected later on Monday in the multi-million pound civil case brought by the families of some of the Omagh bomb victims.

Mr Justice Morgan will give his verdict against five men being sued over the 1998 Real IRA atrocity.

No-one has ever been convicted for the August 1998 bomb, which killed 29 people - plus unborn twins.

In a lawsuit which made legal history, some of the bereaved are seeking an order for damages.

They claim the five men, including jailed dissident republican chief Michael McKevitt, can all be held responsible. Each has denied liability.

Vincent Kearney, NI Home Affairs correspondent It is highly unlikely the families will receive anything like the £10m for which they are suing. None of the men being sued has the capacity to pay out any kind of large-scale payment. From the start the families made clear the civil action was a vehicle for putting as much information as possible into the public domain about the bombing and the men they claim were involved. Even if the judge agrees with the families, it is not a criminal case and no-one will be jailed. Case that broke new legal ground Omagh families' harrowing ordeal

Civil cases have a much lower burden of proof, with the judge reaching his verdict on the balance of probabilities. In criminal law, guilt must be proved beyond reasonable doubt.

In an unprecedented step, the hearing was relocated from Belfast to the Supreme Court in Dublin in May so that evidence could be heard from Irish police officers.

It was the first time a judge from Northern Ireland had travelled to the Republic of Ireland on official business.

The case was also the first time that the British government had helped to fund a civil action.

In 2003 it contributed £800,000 towards the £1.5m needed to launch the action.

THE MEN BEING SUED Michael McKevitt - Co Louth Colm Murphy - Co Louth Liam Campbell - Co Louth Seamus McKenna - Co Armagh Seamus Daly - Co Monaghan The men sued by the Omagh families

In 2008 two of the defendants lodged an appeal against exceptional legal aid being granted to the victims' families.

They said a public pledge of financial assistance to the families ahead of any legal authorisation was predetermining the outcome of the legal process.

But the Court of Appeal ruled it could not be assumed the government had abandoned its fair and independent judgement.