23 McCANN AND OTHERS v. THE UNITED KINGDOM JUDGMENT 100. In the report compiled by the Spanish police on the device dated Madrid 27 March 1988, it was concluded that there was a double activating system to ensure explosion even if one of the timers failed; the explosive was hidden in the spare-wheel space to avoid detection on passing the Spanish/Gibraltarian customs; the quantity of explosive and use of cartridges as shrapnel indicated the terrorists were aiming for greatest effect; and that it was believed that the device was set to explode at the time of the military parade on 8 March 1988. 101. Chief Inspector Correa, who acted also as Coroner’s Officer, traced and interviewed witnesses of the shooting of the three suspects. Police officers visited residences in the area knocking on doors and returning a second time when persons were absent. The Attorney-General made two or three appeals to the public to come forward. At the inquest, Inspector Correa commented that the public appeared more than usually reluctant to come forward to give statements to the police. 102. A post-mortem was conducted in respect of the three deceased suspects on 7 March 1988. Professor Watson, a highly qualified pathologist from the United Kingdom, carried out the procedure. His report was provided to a pathologist, Professor Pounder, instructed by the applicants. Comment was later made at the inquest by both pathologists with regard to defects in the post-mortem procedures. In particular, the bodies had been stripped before Professor Watson saw them, depriving him of possible aid in establishing entry and exit wounds, there had been no X-ray facilities and Professor Watson had not later been provided either with a full set of photographs for reference, or the forensic and ballistics reports. I. THE GIBRALTAR INQUEST 103. An inquest by the Gibraltar Coroner into the killings was opened on 6 September 1988. The families of the deceased (which included the applicants) were represented, as were the SAS soldiers and the United Kingdom Government. The inquest was presided over by the Coroner, who sat with a jury chosen from the local population. 104. Prior to the inquest, three certificates to the effect that certain information should not, in the public interest, be disclosed, were issued by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Secretary of State for Defence and the Deputy Governor of Gibraltar, dated respectively 26 August, 30 August and 2 September 1988. These stated that the public interest required that the following categories of information be protected from disclosure: 1. In the case of the seven military witnesses, the objection was to the disclosure of any information or documents which would reveal: (i) their identity;