Mark Saville's report into the killing of 14 protesters on "Bloody Sunday" in Derry 38 years ago was widely criticised before its publication on 15 June. It is true that four and a half thousand days of deliberation at a cost of £191m will appear excessive to some, especially while British soldiers continue to die in Afghanistan. However, the pursuit of justice is without price, and we welcome the report and its unequivocal condemnation of what David Cameron, in his apology to the House of Commons, called "unjustified and unjustifiable" killings.

Northern Ireland has come a long way since that day in 1972. Lord Saville's report confirms that the current deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, then second-in-command in the Provisional IRA, was present at the scene, probably armed with a sub-machine gun. The IRA, whose violence undermined its own cause, has since been disbanded and the inquiry has exposed the shameful behaviour of the British state in the conflict. With this, Northern Ireland has surely taken another small step on the road to lasting peace.