The Court of Appeal in Belfast ruled in March that the Chief Constable of the PSNI had not demonstrated the independence of the PSNI’s Legacy Investigation Branch, which is necessary for carrying out an Article 2-compliant effective investigation.

The case was brought by Margaret McQuillan, sister of Jean Smyth-Campbell, a 24-year-old woman who was shot dead in Belfast on 8 June 1972.

The appeal will centre on the issue of independence, which PSNI assistant chief constable George Clarke has said has “significant implications for present day policing”, the Belfast Telegraph reports.

The PSNI also sought permission to appeal recent judgments related to the “Hooded Men” and the Glenanne gang, but the Court of Appeal said it was up to the Supreme Court to decide whether it will hear those cases.