Liam Shannon and Jim Auld, represented by KRW LAW LLP, argue that there is new evidence pointing to torture which was not available to them during previous legal actions in the 1970s.

The UK government may still appeal the High Court’s ruling today.

Solicitor Kevin Winters said: “We urge the government not to go down the same route it has taken in other conflict-related cases and appeal today’s judgement.

“I urge the state agencies not to replicate what it has done in the case of Sean Brown, where his widow Bridie has been forced into an endless suffocating vortex of litigation and appeals.

“To put any family or next of kin through this is oppressive enough but it’s compounded when you consider the elderly age profile of people like Bridie and so many others. Jim and Liam aren’t getting any younger.

“We now call on the government to do the right thing and engage constructively on the legal outworkings of this significant ruling.”

He added: “The [PSNI] chief constable has rightly called out the ‘attritional nature’ of the state’s approach to Troubles-related legal actions which leads directly to a huge increase in costs and time.

“Here is a welcome opportunity to reset the dial on this contentious issue and decline lodging any appeal.

“Instead, we encourage the state to take a statesmanlike approach and enter in to immediate negotiations to resolve these long-outstanding actions.”