A date has been set for the biggest civil action to come before a court in Britain or Ireland.
It involves 4,500 serving and retired police officers in Northern Ireland and is expected to last up to four months in a Belfast court. The officers are seeking millions of pounds in compensation for trauma suffered during the Troubles.
They are suing the Chief Constable and the Police Authority for personal injuries caused by failure to diagnose or treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mr Justice Coghlin has been appointed to oversee the case which is proceeding as a class action and is due to start on November 7th. The judge has indicated that the court will sit from Monday to Thursday every week until all the evidence has been heard.
The officers claim they were not prepared for what they experienced, and that adequate support mechanisms were not in place.