Bloody Sunday witnesses hear ruling on video-link

Hundreds of former soldiers who are to be called as witnesses in the Bloody Sunday inquiry were today being told whether they must travel to Derry to give their evidence.

The British High Court in London was giving judgment on a test case brought by 36 military witnesses who have accused the inquiry tribunal of ‘‘knowingly exposing individuals to the risk of death’’ by insisting that they must attend in person at Derry’s Guildhall.

Lawyers said the tribunal’s decision was made despite ‘‘overriding concerns’’ expressed by the British Ministry of Defence that the former Service personnel would be prime targets for dissident Republican organisations in the area.

The ex-soldiers, who have already won the right to anonymity, should be allowed to testify in London, with a live video link-up to Derry, it was argued.

The tribunal, headed by Lord Saville of Newdigate, ruled out any question of moving to the UK to hear the evidence because the chances of restoring public confidence would be ‘‘very seriously diminished if not destroyed’’ if the proceedings were held elsewhere.

That stance was supported in the High Court by legal teams representing some of the 32 families who had relatives killed or injured during the civil rights march on Sunday January 30 1972, when 13 people were shot dead by British soldiers.

They told Lord Justice Rose and Mr Justice Sullivan that the legal challenge could jeopardise the whole credibility of the inquiry.

The witnesses’ fear of reprisal attacks was unfounded and their use of the English courts to argue their case was not winning the confidence of the people of Derry, the court heard.