The action by retired Canadian judge, Mr Peter Cory, in communicating directly with the families of murder victims Pat Finucane, Robert Hamill, Rosemary Nelson and Billy Wright is a serious and worrying development.
It reflects an obvious distrust and annoyance at the way his four reports into controversial killings in Northern Ireland have been handled by the British Government and a determination to ensure that his terms of reference will be upheld.
Judge Cory explained his initiative was motivated by humanitarian concern for the families, who had not been officially notified of the recommendations contained in his reports even though the findings had become the focus of many newspaper articles.
By advising the families of his recommendations to institute inquiries, while withholding details of the reports, Judge Cory has allowed time for the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, to give effect to his commitment to publish the documents.
Last month, the Coalition Government published two reports by Judge Cory into allegations of collusion between Irish security forces and the IRA in relation to the murders of the Northern Ireland Lord Chief Justice Maurice Gibson and Lady Cecily Gibson, in 1987, and of two RUC officers, Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Robert Buchanan, in 1989. No evidence of collusion was found in the former case. But Judge Cory found that evidence, including intelligence reports, would - if accepted - constitute collusion by employees of this State in the murder of the police officers. The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, immediately announced that a sworn inquiry will be held later this year.
The contrast in responses by the two Governments could not be starker. And while a reluctance by the British Government to authorise four separate inquiries - given the £150 million price tag for the Bloody Sunday tribunal - is understandable, the commitment given by Mr Blair to the Northern Ireland political parties at Weston Park in 2001 must be upheld. Investigations were authorised in order to bolster public confidence in the security services and to contribute to peace and reconciliation under the Belfast Agreement.
The process must now be completed in line with Judge Cory's terms of reference. They provided for publication of the various reports "subject only to any necessary adjustments to ensure the privacy and right to life of individuals is protected and that the relevant government's obligation in relation to ensuring justice and protecting national security is maintained".
Any further delay by the British Government in meeting its obligations will damage public confidence. Inquiries must be held where Judge Cory identified possible collusion by the security forces in paramilitary murders. Anticipating problems in that regard, the Judge warned last October that he could become a difficult customer. He is living up to his word.