A Northern High Court judge yesterday referred all papers relating to a judicial review of the appointment of an interim victims' commissioner to the UK's attorney general.
The decision by Mr Justice Girvan to refer the papers on the controversial appointment of Bertha McDougall to Britain's top law officer comes just weeks after he heaped criticism on the Northern Secretary, Peter Hain.
A judicial review of the appointment of Mrs McDougall was sought by west Belfast woman Brenda Downes on the grounds it was unlawful and did not command cross-community support.
Earlier this month, the judge ruled the appointment of the RUC widow to the post of interim victims' commissioner was improper and that Mr Hain's decision was a confidence-building gesture to the DUP.
Earlier yesterday, it emerged that Mrs McDougall became aware of the post through contact with DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson, who advised her to put her name forward.
Head of the Northern Ireland civil service Nigel Hamilton and government officials were also criticised by the judge for providing "evasive and misleading" information in regard to correspondence from the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister which was provided after a request for information on Mrs McDougall's appointment was made under the Freedom of Information Act.
During his ruling, Mr Justice Girvan called for a high-level inquiry into the appointment and earlier yesterday, he revealed he is referring all papers to the attorney general due to misleading information which was provided to the court and which may have amounted to perverting the course of justice.
He said: "If incorrect and misleading information was deliberately given to put the applicant on a false trail then prima facie that conduct would appear to fall within the concept of perverting the course of justice.
"If, in the course of the substantive judicial review itself, there was a deliberate attempt to mislead the court, the same would be true."
Saying the attorney general holds the function of protecting the administration of justice, Mr Justice Girvan also revealed he had compiled a total of 67 "key questions which need to be addressed in a rigorous and searching investigation".