Pearse Jordan's family sues over inquest delay

Pearse Jordan was shot by police officers in November 1992

The family of an IRA man shot dead by police should receive damages for an 11-year delay in holding an inquest, the High Court in Belfast has heard.

Lawyers for Pearse Jordan's parents claimed they were entitled to a pay-out for alleged failures by police and the coroner to hold a prompt tribunal.

Pearse Jordan was killed in disputed circumstances after a 1992 car crash.

In October 2012, a long-delayed inquest failed to reach agreement on key aspects of the case.

It was one of several, high-profile cases during the Troubles, where the families of men killed by the security forces in Northern Ireland claimed that their relatives died as a result of a "shoot-to-kill" policy.

Lawyers for Jordan's father have claimed the inquest was unfair and want a new hearing ordered.

Separate proceedings were launched on Monday seeking damages for the time it took for the tribunal to be held.

The alleged delay occurred between May 2001, when a European ruling found the delay up to that point violated human rights, and September 2012 when the inquiry began.