The British and Irish governments are expected to announce before Christmas whether public inquiries will be held into six of the most controversial killings of the Troubles.
News of an imminent announcement emerged as retired Canadian judge Peter Cory prepares to deliver his reports to both governments and recommendations on whether public inquiries should be held into the murders.
Britain's most senior police officer, Sir John Stevens, has already confirmed that elements of the security forces colluded in the murder of Catholic solicitor Pat Finucane in 1989.
Judge Cory also probed allegations of security force collusion in the murders of lawyer Rosemary Nelson in 1999, Portadown Catholic Robert Hamill in 1997 and LVF leader Billy Wright, who was gunned down in the Maze Prison, in the same year.
Allegations of Garda involvement in the IRA killings of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan in 1989, and Lord Justice Maurice Gibson and his wife in 1987, have also been examined.
Judge Cory's reports will be handed to the two governments on Tuesday but details of his findings will remain under wraps.
Families of those killed will also be in the dark over any recommendations until the British and Irish governments decide on how to proceed.
Even then it is still not known how well in advance the families will be informed of the findings prior to the publication of the reports, which may be heavily censored to avoid prejudicing any inquiry.
There has been much debate over the outcome of the Cory probe and last week the judge warned that "ill-informed" speculation was distressing the relatives involved.
Last night (Tuesday) well-placed sources said both the British and Irish governments will announce before Christmas whether public inquiries will be held.
However, there is growing concern that the British government may cite pending legal proceedings in the Pat Finucane and Robert Hamill cases to delay the launch of possible inquiries.
Both governments are liaising closely in the run-up to delivery of the reports.
But it is understood they do not have to follow the same timescale and the Irish government could forge ahead with plans pre and post publication if the British is still considering options.
On reports of a pre-Christmas announcement on inquiries, a spokeswoman for the Northern Ireland Office said: "We will have to consider what the reports contain before we can respond and it is appropriate we take the time necessary to do so."
A spokesman for the Republic's Department of Foreign Affairs said: "Certainly, the intention is that the reports will be published before Christmas.
"The logic suggests that publication and the announcement of the government's intention would be to have as little as gap as possible between publication and announcement of our intention.
"There will be a parallel process of preparing the reports for publication and considering how to implement the judges' recommendations."
Last night SDLP Policing Board member Alex Attwood called for immediate movement from the governments upon receiving the Cory report.
"The SDLP, myself and Mark (Durkan, SDLP leader), raised Cory with Jonathan Powell (Tony Blair's chief of staff) last Thursday," he said.
"We made it clear that a recommendation for an independent international judicial inquiry must not be sidelined or evaded by the British government when Cory reports.
"The two governments should publish the Cory report into all six cases without delay and take all necessary actions immediately thereafter."
