At the time Tony Blair said that 'compelling new evidence' had persuaded him that there should be a new tribunal to evaluate the findings of the late Lord Widgery in 1972. The Lord Chief Justice's report relied heavily on the evidence of the soldiers that they had opened fire in self-defence. Since he first appeared in Derry last year, Lord Saville has gone to great pains to win the confidence of all sides. Seventeen of those involved in the shooting have already been asked to give evidence. They have been granted immunity from prosecution, which has been reluctantly accepted by the families of the victims.
Nobody is on trial.
Earlier this month Lord Saville ruled that there should be no general anonymity for witnesses, on the grounds that this would detract from an open search for truth. However, he also made it clear that any soldier who had 'general and reasonable fears' about his safety could make a special application for anonymity. One soldier is said to have married a Catholic girl whose parents do not know of his background. Three members of the RUC Special Branch have already been granted anonymity on 'special reasons' grounds.