An MI5 agent who alleged Mr Martin McGuinness fired the first shot on Bloody Sunday will not be able to give evidence to the inquiry, the tribunal's chairman confirmed today.
Lord Saville ruled out a bid by British soldiers' representatives to ensure the inquiry found some way of taking evidence from the agent codenamed Infliction.
As the inquiry prepared to adjourn on its 220th day, Lord Saville revealed judges had received a written submission "that the tribunal should consider, if it has not already done so, other ways of taking evidence from this witness".
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"The position is: before I made the announcement a few days ago that we would not be calling Infliction, we had considered whether there were any ways at all in which we could take evidence from him including those suggested in the submission to which I have referred.
"We are satisfied that the position is such that there are no means that we could employ without breaching the human rights of this individual. It follows we are unable to take this matter any further."
Last month, the inquiry claimed it could not call Infliction.
The agent alleged last year that Mr McGuinness was worried that he fired the first shot on Bloody Sunday. Mr McGuinness, who has admitted to the tribunal to having been a member of the Provisional IRA in Derry on the day of the killings, rejected the allegation.
Infliction's statement was also disputed by former MI5 agent Mr David Shayler.
Mr McGuinness's presence on the Bloody Sunday civil rights march was raised during evidence to the inquiry today. Mr John Radcliffe, who was among the civil rights marchers, recalled seeing the future MP.
Pressed by Mr Peter Clarke, a lawyer acting for the soldiers, if he knew on Bloody Sunday Mr McGuinness was a member of the IRA, Mr Radcliffe replied: "At that time or now I know absolutely nothing about Martin McGuinness's political affiliations or whatever they are.
"I know (now) he is a Sinn Féin member, yes but as far as I am concerned at that particular time I had no knowledge whatsoever of what Martin McGuinness was, nor did I want to know."
PA