The Hamill Inquiry is to appeal a decision granting anonymity to police officers giving evidence about a Catholic Northern Ireland man who was beaten to death by loyalists.
Sir Edwin Jowitt's panel wants the retired RUC men to give evidence openly about their role after Robert Hamill (25) was battered to death by a mob in Portadown, Co Armagh, in 1997.
It has been claimed that four officers witnessed the killing and the team is probing whether they could have done more.
A spokesman for the tribunal said: "A notice of appeal is to be lodged on behalf of the Robert Hamill Inquiry against the judgment of Mr Justice Morgan sitting in the High Court of Northern Ireland on judicial review. "The judgment ruled against the Inquiry's decision to refuse the applications for anonymity made by a number of serving and former police officers."
The victim was set upon by a large group in the centre of the town and viciously beaten to death. His inquiry is determining whether any wrongful act or omission was made by the RUC which may have facilitated the killing. It is also probing whether there were any attempts to obstruct the murder investigation as well as whether it was carried out with due diligence.
Mr Justice Morgan held that the inquiry's approach to Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights — the right to life — was flawed. The judge upheld an application at the High Court in Belfast for judicial review brought by a former officer on behalf of 20 colleagues who have been called as witnesses.
Police representatives have argued that identifying them would expose them to threat. Lawyers for Mr Hamill's relatives have called for full transparency.