The recently appointed High Court judge Mr Justice Colton has been handed a massive task through his appointment as Northern Ireland's new presiding coroner.
It has been well documented that, for a variety of reasons, only 13 Troubles-related inquests have actually been heard during the course of the last decade.
The lengthy backlog of pending cases includes high-profile killings dating back over 40 years and involving issues of fundamental importance in all sections of the community.
There will be a widespread hope that the well regarded judge can achieve at least some form of tangible progress at an early stage in his term of office.
