BRIGID HUGHES, whose husband Anthony was shot dead in an SAS ambush, celebrated today after winning a court case over the inadequate funding for inquests into historical killings in Northern Ireland.

Ms Hughes had challenged the failure of Northern Ireland’s Executive Office, Department of Justice and Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley to stump up enough money to prevent delays to such inquests.

Her husband Anthony was killed in May 1987 in the crossfire between British troops and the IRA at a Royal Ulster Constabulary station in Co Armagh. Eight IRA members also died.

Judge Sir Paul Girvan said former first minister Arlene Foster’s decision not to consider bidding for funding for legacy inquests was flawed and unlawful.

Her solicitor Peter Corrigan said the judgment clearly showed there was systematic delay in holding inquests.

He said that Ms Foster “has acted unlawfully in not properly considering the legacy funding and crucially the judge has provided that there is no democratic accountability and there is a vacuum in this jurisdiction that needs to be filled.”