Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness is expected to give evidence to the Saville Inquiry in November with the tribunal expected to make its final report in the autumn next year.
The inquiry broke for the summer recess yesterday (Thursday), completing more than three years of oral hearings.
Established in 1998, the inquiry started hearing oral evidence at Derry's Guildhall on March 27 2000.
It moved to London to hear evidence from military witnesses and British establishment figures such as former prime minister Sir Edward Heath, last September.
One of the longest inquiries in British legal history, it will resume after the summer recess on September 8 at Central Hall, Westminster.
The tribunal is expected to spend between six and eight weeks in London, completing military evidence. During this time it is expected to hear from some of the key soldiers who were on the ground on Bloody Sunday.
Among the areas to be covered will be the killings at Rossville Street, in Glenfada Park, in Abbey Park and at Joseph Place.
In the last 10 months the tribunal has heard evidence from a range of British military and political figures. Among those questioned have been Sir Edward, former foreign secretary Lord Carrington as well as military leaders, General Frank Kitson, General Sir Robert Ford, General Sir Michael Jackson, Colonel Derek Wilford and Major Ted Loden.
After hearing the remaining military witnesses, the inquiry is expected to take a short break at the end of October or the start of November before returning to Derry.
It is expected that on its return to the city in November, the first witness to be called will be Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness who has admitted being second in command of the IRA's Bogside division in 1972.
On completing Mr McGuinn-ess's evidence, the tribunal will hear from five former members of the Official IRA.
It is expected to hear from some witnesses on whom intelligence trawls have been carried out while there is a chance that it may recall some witnesses for questioning about the IRA in 1972. If the inquiry sticks to schedule, oral hearings are expected to end by December 19.
After Christmas, counsel to the inquiry Christopher Clarke QC will deliver his closing statement. This will be followed by statements from lawyers representing the Bloody Sunday families, the former soldiers and others.
It is expected all hearings will end by early March 2004. At this stage, the Saville Inquiry will adjourn while the three judges – Lord Saville, Mr Justice William Hoyt and Mr Justice John Toohey – will compile their report to be released in the autumn.
SOLDIER'S STATEMENT CHALLENGED
A FORMER soldier yesterday denied a suggestion that he changed his account of a Bloody Sunday shooting to protect the soldier involved.
In two statements he made in 1972, Soldier 015, a former member of the Royal Artillery regiment, said he saw two men rise from behind a rubble barricade at Rossville Street and run towards the doorway to the Rossville flats.
He said the last man stopped at one stage and turned towards a soldier before running even faster towards the flats. The witness said in 1972 that the soldier shot the man who was dragged into the flats. His account could be a description of the shooting of either Kevin McElhinney or Hugh Gilmore.
But in the account he gave to the Saville Inquiry, Soldier 015 claimed the man stopped and pointed at the soldier. He said that while the man did not have a rifle, he could not say if he was or was not holding a pistol. The witness alleged the man was shot as he started to run again.
The matter was taken up by tribunal chairman Lord Saville who asked for an explanation for the difference in statements. Lord Saville said: "One explanation might be that you are trying to protect the soldier who shot this man."
The witness said this was not the case.
