§ Mr. TrimbleTo ask the Attorney-General if he will make a further statement on the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland's progress in considering the cases referred to him by the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal in its judgment in the case of Rv. Latimer and others delivered on 29 July 1992.
§ The Attorney-GeneralThe Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland considered the judgment of the Court of Appeal and all other then available facts and information. On 5 August 1992, 10 February 1993 and 27 April 1993 the director issued interim directions to the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary requesting that further reports, information and witness statements be obtained. The majority of these further reports, information and witness statements have been obtained by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and submitted to the director. A small number of witness statements remain outstanding.
When all the matters requested in these interim directions have been received and considered, a decision as to whether criminal proceedings will be instituted will be taken. It is expected that this decision will be taken in the near future. I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) on 11 November 1992 at columns 835–36 and to the right hon. Member for Strangford (Mr. Taylor) on 27 January 1993 at column 709.