The Bloody Sunday Inquiry, chaired by Lord Saville of Newdigate, was established by the Tony Blair government in 1998 and delivered its final report on June 15, 2010.
The longest running inquiry in British legal history, the investigation heard oral evidence from 922 people and took statements from 2,500 witnesses. The first oral evidence was heard in 2000 and the final witness, Witness X, was heard in December 2004.
The inquiry’s counsel, Christopher Clarke QC – later to become a Lord Justice of Appeal – delivered the longest ever opening statement in British legal history.
When originally established, it was estimated that the Inquiry would cost £10 million. The eventual cost was £190 million.
The Inquiry sat for the greater part in Derry’s Guildhall. However, it was moved to Westminster Hall, London – with a live video link to Derry – to hear the evidence of British soldiers and former senior British politicians.
Some of the best-known lawyers in the world represented both victims and former soldiers during the Inquiry. They included: Lord Anthony Gifford QC; Michael Mansfield QC; Declan Morgan QC (now Lord Chief Justice for Northern Ireland); Sir Allan Green QC and Edwin Glasgow QC.
On its opening, the Inquiry was presided over by Lord Saville, the Hon William Hoyt and Sir Edward Somers. However, Sir Edward Somers retired and was replaced by Australian judge, the Hon John Toohey.
It is estimated the judges considered between 20 million and 30 million words of evidence over the duration of the inquiry.
