All efforts are being made to keep a fresh inquest into the deaths of three teenagers, a priest and father-of-six in west Belfast in 1972 to planned scheduling, Belfast Coroner’s Court has been told.
Coroner Mr Justice Scoffield previously expressed a desire to ensure it concludes before a cut-off date set by the Government’s legacy Act.
The inquest opened earlier this year and was told the shootings in the Springhill/Westrock area happened in disputed circumstances.
The probe was ordered by Northern Ireland’s attorney general in 2014 after an original inquest in 1973 returned an open verdict.
Those who died were John Dougal, 16, Patrick Butler, 37, Fr Noel Fitzpatrick, 42, David McCafferty, 15, and Margaret Gargan, 13.
Hearings are set to resume on November 6 for civilian witnesses, while military evidence is due to start in January.
A public immunity interest application hearing will take place on December 15 around material to be disclosed.
A review hearing on Friday received updates on the work underway to prepare evidence for the resumption of the hearings.
This included arrangements around witnesses to give evidence and anonymity and screening requests from former military personnel.
During a discussion on work over the disclosure of files, Peter Coll KC, acting for the PSNI, said they consider it “unlikely” they will be ready for December 15 but are “working as far as they can towards that”.
He said it will be “prioritised over all other commitments, professional and personal, to try and make sure it’s done”.
He said: “We’re now eight weeks away from December 15 and it does provide a very punishing timescale, involving a new chief constable.”
Earlier in the hearing, Mr Justice Scoffield spoke of pressure on the availability of court rooms as a number of legacy inquests press to conclude.
He said he is still hopeful to meet the deadline but it will be kept under review.
Mr Justice Scoffield previously agreed to move forward scheduling of the inquest in order to ensure it completes before a cut-off date set by the legacy Act.
The legislation, which has been widely criticised, will mean all legacy inquests that have not reached the point of verdict by May 1 2024 must be halted.
“I want to do all that I can, reasonably and realistically, to try to complete this inquest before the May 1 2024 date now that it has started and taken a significant degree of evidence,” he told a previous hearing.
