Lawyers for the families of those shot dead or wounded by British army paratroopers on Bloody Sunday say they are concerned that as yet they have had no reply from the Bloody Sunday inquiry team.
The inquiry was set up by the British government last April following their request for "adequate legal representation".
A spokesman for one of the three Derry legal firms representing the families said yesterday the inquiry team, chaired by Lord Saville of Newdigate, had not yet answered their request that the relatives of the 14 Bloody Sunday victims as well as the 14 other people shot and wounded in Derry in 1972 be represented at the inquiry by four senior counsel, four junior counsel and four firms of solicitors. The inquiry is due to open in the autumn. "The impression we are getting is that the inquiry team will only agree to one senior counsel, one junior counsel and one firm of solicitors to represent the families of the victims as well as those injured.
"That would be a mammoth task given the numbers of witness involved, the amount of forensic evidence, plus all the post-mortem material. We believe that would be too much for such a small legal group to take on. We have put forward our proposals on the basis that the tribunal would fund the legal representatives of the victims' families and those wounded. As yet we have had no official reply, but the initial feedback is not encouraging."
No comment was available from the Bloody Sunday inquiry office.