Channel 4 News today gave the Bloody Sunday Inquiry in Derry notes of interviews with soldiers used in a series of reports about the controversial shootings 30 years ago. Inquiry chairman Lord Saville yesterday directed that notes taken during interviews by Lena Ferguson, who produced the reports for Channel Four News, must be given to the inquiry.
Ms Ferguson, who now works for the BBC in Belfast, had provided the inquiry with brief notes saying that to produce the full notes would identify her sources and she was not prepared to break undertakings given to the soldiers she spoke to.
But Lord Saville said it was clear there was much information in the notebooks which would be of importance to the inquiry and it should be provided with only matters relating to the soldiers identities blanked out.
Ms Ferguson and the legal team for ITN, which produces Channel Four News, worked overnight to produce the notes, which she had told the inquiry were contained in up to 10 notebooks.
The opening of the inquiry was delayed for an hour while the notebooks contents were copied and distributed among the legal teams representing families of the 13 people shot dead by troops at the 1972 civil rights march.
When the inquiry finally resumed in the Guildhall, Lord Saville told Mr Andrew Caldecott QC, for ITN, he was grateful to him and his clients for "the immense amount of work" done overnight to produce the notes.
Mr Christopher Clarke, QC to the inquiry, then continued to examine Ms Ferguson with reference to her newly provided notes.
Lord Saville has yet to decide on a call by lawyers from both sides who urged him yesterday to order Ms Ferguson to provide the identities of the anonymous soldiers involved in the interviews to the inquiry.
Channel Four News has indicated that Ms Ferguson and reporter Alex Thomson, who is due to give evidence to the inquiry, are not prepared to break their undertakings to the soldiers to maintain their confidentiality.
If an order is made and refused, there is potential for a legal battle between the broadcaster and the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, with Ms Ferguson and Mr Thomson, in theory, facing jail for contempt if the inquiry prevails.
PA