Boston Tapes: Police may seek immunity over interviews

The tapes got their name after being stored in a library at Boston College

The PSNI may apply to keep the reasons they want access to some of the Boston Tapes a secret, a court has heard.

Lawyers acting for a former IRA member were given a heavily redacted copy of the legal document on Monday.

But after demands were made to see the full version on Tuesday, the PSNI and Public Prosecution Service said they could apply for a Public Interest Immunity Certificate.

This would mean that the sections would remain blacked out.

At the High Court on Tuesday, lawyers for Anthony McIntyre said they wanted to see the full document, which lists the reasons why the PSNI and Public Prosecution Service want to seize some of the tapes.

Mr McIntyre was one of the main researchers who worked on the Boston College project.

• What are the Boston Tapes

The project contains candid interviews with loyalist and republican paramilitaries and were held in a library at Boston College.

In 2011, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) began a legal bid to gain access to the tapes.

Mr McIntyre's lawyers are taking legal action to prevent his interviews being handed over to police.

On Monday the loyalist Winston "Winkie" Rea, 65, denied charges of murder dating back more than 20 years at Belfast Magistrates Court.

The charges were brought after the PSNI gained access to tapes of interviews Mr Rea had given to the Boston College "Belfast Project".