The former British prime minister and Tory leader Sir Edward Heath will resume his evidence to the Saville inquiry later today having rejected suggestions the his government planned the events of Bloody Sunday as "absurd".
The 86-year-old gave evidence for just over two hours, speaking clearly and authoritatively, with a few pauses.
He denied the allegation, from a statement by journalist Martin Dillon, that he had ever told Lord Carver, then the army's chief of general staff, that soldiers had the right to shoot protesters in Northern Ireland.
He claimed that everyone had ignored Lord Hailsham when the then lord chancellor cited, at a ministerial meeting, an ancient law which allowed the army to shoot enemies of the crown.
The tribunal is investigating what happened on January 30th, 1972, when paratroops opened fire on civilians at a civil rights march in the Bogside in Derry killing 13 people. Another man died later.
Sir Edward rejected the suggestion the killings were part of a high-level conspiracy.
The inquiry is currently hearing the evidence from military witnesses in London because of security concerns.