A legal challenge to Derry City Council's decision to donate £385,000 sterling to the Bloody Sunday Trust cleared the first hurdle in the High Court in Belfast yesterday.
A community worker, Mr Mark Pilling, was granted leave to apply for a judicial review of a decision to hand over rent money from the Bloody Sunday inquiry in the Guildhall to pay for an memorial to the people killed and injured by British soldiers. But Mr Justice Kerr refused to order the council to refrain from making payments in the meantime. Mr Pilling is co-ordinator of Ulster Community Action Network, an umbrella organisation for Protestant community groups.
Mr Justice Kerr said his decision to grant leave was not to be taken as indicating Mr Pilling enjoyed a prima-facie case. Mr Alan Kane, for Mr Pilling, said the council had a duty to promote equality of opportunity between people of different religious belief and political opinion.
Mr Francis O'Reilly, for the council, referred to Mr Pilling's claim that the council had refused financial assistance to the Claudy Bomb Memorial Group and the UDR Memorial Window at All Saints Church, Clooney. He said Mr Pilling "has never applied".