A HIGH Court judge has compelled authorities in Belfast and London to reconsider providing funds for legacy inquests in Northern Ireland.
With no Executive currently in place at Stormont, Sir Paul Girvan said his order will provide civil servants running the departments with certainty about their legal duties.
He also ruled that former First Minister Arlene Foster is liable for costs in a case where she was found to have unlawfully blocked a plan to aimed at clearing a backlog of nearly 100 Troubles-related killings.
Setting out his reasons for compelling action, the judge said UK authorities have failed to effectively deal with delays and shortcomings in carrying out legacy inquests.
With mere declarations held to lack impact in addressing the issue, the point has been reached for more intrusive, coercive steps to address continued breaches of human rights law, the court was told.
Sir Paul said: "In the absence of ministers where a mandatory order is in place civil servants running the departments will know what their precise legal duty is and will not be restrained or influenced by the belief that they are in some way bound by the actual or potential views of past ministers and/or future ministers."
On that basis he directed the Executive Office, the Department for Justice and the Secretary of State to reconsider their duties in providing extra resources to the Coroners Service for legacy inquests.
They must also consider what steps should be taken to ensure the tribunals can be carried out in a way which complies with legal requirements.
His final ruling came in a case brought by the widow of an innocent civilian shot dead along with eight IRA men.
Brigid Hughes, whose husband Anthony died after being unwittingly caught up in the SAS ambush of an IRA unit at Loughgall, Co Armagh in May 1987, challenged the failure to fund outstanding legacy inquests.
Proceedings were issued against the Secretary of State, the Stormont Executive and Mrs Foster personally due to her alleged responsibility for the logjam.
More than 50 legacy inquests remain outstanding, with potentially 72 more cases on the Attorney General's desk for consideration.
Lawyers for Mrs Hughes went to court alleging Mrs Foster stopped it from being discussed by her Executive colleagues for political reasons.
Earlier this month Sir Paul held that the former First Minister wrongly took into account the absence of an overall agreed package to deal with outstanding issues from Northern Ireland's violent past.
Following Mrs Hughes' victory lawyers returned to court to deal with costs and what further declarations should be made.
Counsel representing the Northern Ireland Office, the Department for Justice and the Executive Office argued against making an order compelling action.
Attorney General John Larkin QC also contended that the case against Mrs Foster should end without any order for costs against her.
But rejecting all those submissions, Sir Paul confirmed that First Minister, Deputy First Minister and Minister of Justice will be bound by his order of mandamus if and when they are appointed to a future Executive.
Making an order for costs against all respondents in the case, including Mrs Foster, he ruled she will also be separately liable for making earlier applications to be taken out of the case and to have him stand aside as the judge.
