BLOODY SUNDAY INQUIRY: Evidence to the Bloody Sunday inquiry will conclude next month, more than six years after it was set up by the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, it was announced yesterday.
Inquiry sources estimate that it will be at least another year before the chairman, Lord Saville, publishes his final report.
By the time the last witness takes the stand at the Guildhall in Derry on February 13th, more than 900 people will have been questioned about the events of January 30th, 1972, when 13 civilians were shot dead in the Bogside..
When Mr Blair announced in that an inquiry was to be set up, it was expected to last 18 months.
However, because of the numbers of people interviewed, and the volume of documents uncovered, oral hearings did not begin until March 2000.
In September 2002 the inquiry moved from Derry to the Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, to hear the evidence of soldiers present on Bloody Sunday and members of the intelligence services. It also heard evidence in London from leading politicians, including Lord Heath, who was prime minister at the time of Bloody Sunday.
This lasted until October 2003, when the inquiry returned to Derry to hear evidence from former members of the Official IRA and Provisional IRA, including Mr Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin.
So far the tribunal has cost the UK taxpayer around €130 million, with the final figure expected to be at least €155 million. Lawyers representing the families, soldiers and other witnesses will have until March 12th to hand in their written submissions to the tribunal.
Written replies to these submissions then have to be delivered to the tribunal and circulated to all interested parties by April 23th. An oral session will begin at the Guildhall on June 7th to allow for clarifications of any of the written submissions.
Counsel to the inquiry, Mr Christopher Clarke QC, will begin his closing statement on October 4th.
Mr Clarke's opening statement lasted three months and remains the longest in British legal history. His closing submission is expected to be much shorter, lasting a couple of weeks.
Lord Saville and his fellow judges, Mr Justice William Hoyt and Mr Justice John Toohey, will then retire to make their final report.