Mr David Trimble's leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party was under renewed pressure last night after the High Court in Belfast ruled that moves to suspend three Ulster Unionist MPs opposed to the leadership were "unlawful, invalid and of no force or effect".
The successful challenge to their suspension from the UUP taken by Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, the Rev Martin Smyth and Mr David Burnside represents a potentially serious blow to Mr Trimble and an escalation in the UUP's civil war.
Party sources loyal to the leader now openly doubt if he can survive the relentless opposition to his policy of backing the Belfast Agreement and his refusal to dismiss the Joint Declaration.
Other key allies of Mr Trimble insist what was found wanting by the judge was the manner of the disciplinary action and not the decision to act. Mr Justice Girvan's ruling contained a damaging criticism of the procedure initiated against the three MPs, two of them senior party officers, for resigning the whip at Westminster.
He said the disciplinary committee had been "improperly constituted" and acted wrongly by decreeing a "draconian and previously unheard of form of suspension". The judge said the committee members should not take part in future disciplinary cases. Mr Trimble faces a vote of no-confidence at his constituency association this evening.
Although expected to win comfortably, one Assembly colleague suggested to The Irish Times last night that if the vote against Mr Trimble rises much over 30 per cent, then more trouble lies ahead.
Outside the High Court, a jubilant Mr Smyth yesterday spoke deliberately of "giving leadership" to ordinary unionists "now that the court has vindicated our stand".
Mr Donaldson called on the party leader to rethink the suspensions and to "draw back from the brink". It is now questionable that a disciplinary move aimed at expulsion and scheduled for July 17th can go ahead. The party chairman, Mr James Cooper, said time would be taken to reflect.
He said it was "highly regrettable" that Ulster Unionists were fighting each other in court, but he insisted: "We cannot continue to have an assault going on from within."
That position was endorsed by UUP members contacted yesterday. Some are now stating they are prepared to consider another leader, even an interim figure, if it brings an end to the party's in-fighting.