The Bloody Sunday Inquiry
Terms of reference: To inquire into the events on Sunday 30 January 1972 which led to loss of life in connection with the procession in Londonderry on that day, taking account of any new information relevant to events on that day.
Chair: Lord Saville of Newdigate.
Panel members: William Hoyt (a retired Canadian judge) and John Toohey (a retired Australian judge). John Toohey joined the panel in 2000, replacing Sir Edward Somers (a retired New Zealand judge) who resigned from the panel for personal reasons.
Dates:
· Established 29 January 1998
· Inquiry formally opened 3 April 1998
· Opening statements from March 2000
· Witness evidence heard from November 2000 to January 2005. The Inquiry heard live evidence from more than 900 witnesses and sat for over 400 days.
· Report estimated to be published in early 2010 (most likely to be published after the general election).
Website:
Description of the events which caused the public concern: On 30 January 1972, there was a disturbance following a civil rights march in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The British Army fired shots and 13 people were killed and others injured. One of the injured people later died. The events became known as Bloody Sunday. Lord Widgery held a public inquiry immediately after Bloody Sunday [LINK TO The Widgery Inquiry]. However, after Lord Widgerys report, new eye witness, ballistic and medical evidence came to light. In 1992, the Prime Minister (John Major) made a statement which accepted that one of Lord Widgerys key findings (that there was a strong suspicion that some of the victims had been firing weapons or handling bombs on that day) was incorrect.
Litigation:
McDaid v United Kingdom (1996) 22 EHRR CD197
R v Lord Saville, ex p B (No 1) (unreported) 16 March 1999 (DC); 30 March 1999 (CA). Transcripts available at http://www.bloody-sunday-inquiry.org.uk/index2.asp?p=1
R v Lord Saville, ex p B (No 2) Times, June 22, 1999 (DC); [2000] 1 WLR 1855 (CA)
R (A) v Lord Saville [2001] EWHC Admin 888 (DC); [2002] 1 WLR 1249 (CA)
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