Canadian Judge Peter Cory has recommended that the British and Irish governments establish inquiries into separate allegations of British security force and Garda collusion in eight high-profile controversial killings, The Irish Times has learned.
The British and Irish governments have given a number of commitments that they would accept Judge Cory's proposals and are therefore expected to launch a series of inquiries based on the judge's recommendations.
In presenting the results of his investigations into killings such as those of Belfast solicitor Mr Pat Finucane and LVF leader Billy Wright it is understood that Judge Cory proposed inquiries in all of the cases.
Considering the expected £150 million cost of the Bloody Sunday Tribunal this would pose a considerable financial burden for the two governments who may be tempted to reduce costs by limiting the nature and scope of any investigations.
The SDLP's Mr Alban Maginness warned yesterday that there must be no attempt to "delay or dilute" inquiries. "Public inquiries must be held in every case where the judge has favoured them, and the truth about collusion must come out at last," he said.
The Sunday Times reported yesterday that Judge Henry Barron had also recommended an inquiry into the Dublin-Monaghan bombings of 1974 in which 33 people were killed. It is alleged that there was British security force collusion with loyalist paramilitaries in the attacks.
A Government spokeswoman repeated yesterday comments made last week by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, that the Cabinet would have to consider Judge Barron's recommendations before they might be published. She could also make no comment about the recommendations Judge Cory made to the Government in respect of the IRA murders of Lord Justice and Lady Gibson in a bombing at the Border in 1987 and of two senior RUC officers, Supt Bob Buchanan and Insp Harry Breen in 1989.
Neither would the Northern Ireland Office comment yesterday about Judge Cory's recommendations in relation to the murders of solicitors Mr Pat Finucane and Ms Rosemary Nelson; Mr Robert Hamill, a Catholic man murdered in Portadown; and LVF leader Billy Wright, who was shot dead inside the Maze prison. The NIO would only say that Northern Secretary Mr Paul Murphy was considering the report which was presented in early October.
The Irish Times understands however that Judge Cory has decided that inquiries should be held in the six cases involving eight killings that he examined.
Based on these proposals the governments must decide whether to hold individual inquiries in each case, or whether they could be dealt with collectively by tribunals of inquiry operating in the North and South. They will be very conscious in the light of the Bloody Sunday inquiry and tribunals in the South how costs could spiral.
Judge Cory dealt with four cases relating to allegations of British security force collusion, and two cases where there were allegations that some gardaí conspired with the IRA.