Soldier F’s’ acquittal in Belfast, for alleged murders during the Bloody Sunday shootings, was almost inevitable. The case was dramatic: a high-profile trial linked directly to a tragedy which affected the Northern Ireland Troubles more than almost any other single event.

In Great Britain, though less in Northern Ireland, there has been widespread sympathy for the plight of an elderly man who served his country in the Army in dangerous circumstances being pursued in the courts 53 years after his alleged actions. Relatively non-political people, including respectable ex-service organisations, have been appalled by this prosecution and the possibility of others. Not much is heard as to why such trials may be necessary. This concern has spread into arguing that soldiers in later – and future – conflicts should not face this jeopardy.

‘Soldier F’s’ trial may not have been necessary. The Prosecution Service had decided that the case probably wasn’t sustainable and dropped it. Representatives of the deceased then successfully overturned the prosecutors’ decision in court. Last week’s verdict may show that the prosecutors’ original assessment was right. But it has been no bad thing that, related to Bloody Sunday in particular, where cover-ups, wrong decisions and delayed justice have added yet more bitterness to the original events, the wheels of justice have turned to the greatest extent possible.

The shooting incident in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, during........

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