JUDICIAL questioning has brought new hope of criminal charges being brought against former police officers allegedly implicated in a loyalist paramilitary murder, the victim's father has claimed.
Raymond McCord gave an upbeat assessment after High Court judges sought more information from the Public Prosecution Service about how relevant evidence was reviewed.
A ruling on his challenge to the decision not to charge the ex-Special Branch men was put on hold for the details to be provided.
Outside court Mr McCord claimed the judges were now asking the same questions he has been demanding answers to for the past 21 years.
"It gives me hope that policemen could be charged in connection with my son's murder".
His son Raymond McCord Jnr (22) was beaten to death before his body was dumped in a quarry near north Belfast in November 1997.
The killing was at the centre of an explosive report by former Police Ombusdman Nuala O'Loan which found collusion between a UVF gang and their Special Branch handlers.
Earlier this year Gary Haggarty (46), a former commander of the terror unit-turned supergrass, was jailed after confessing to hundreds of paramilitary offences from 1991 to 2007, and included five murders - but not that of Mr McCord Jnr.
He pleaded guilty as part of a controversial state deal which offered a reduced sentence in return for providing evidence on other terror suspects.
Despite Haggarty implicating 16 people in serious crime, only one man currently faces prosecution for murder using his evidence.
Former Director of Public Prosecutions Barra McGrory announced last year his uncorroborated claims were insufficient to prove allegations made against the other suspects.
Mr McCord is challenging the PPS over the decision not to bring charges against former police officers implicated in the alleged failure to prevent his son's murder.
His lawyers claim the position was unlawful, unfair and "deprecated" the weight which could be given to Haggarty's evidence and his general credibility.
Despite the PPS commencing a review of its decision, the challenge to those involved in that process has continued.
Counsel for Mr McCord said it will be based on the opinion of same barrister who previously advised not to prosecute in Haggarty-related cases, amounting to a "box-ticking exercise" and leading to the inevitable same outcome.
The court heard a senior English-based barrister has completed a new assessment of any evidence allegedly implicating the former police officers to the murder.
His opinion has not yet been passed to prosecutors in Belfast due to the ongoing legal challenge.
