A disc containing personal information about solicitor Rosemary Nelson has been lost by the public inquiry team investigating her murder by loyalists.
Investigators looking into the death of the 40-year-old Catholic solicitor said a police investigation had been launched but the material was not believed to have been stolen.
Ms Nelson died after a booby-trap bomb left by loyalists exploded under her car in March 1999.
A spokesperson for the panel said the inquiry deeply regrets this serious breach of secure data handling protocols within the inquiry.
Immediate steps have been taken to avoid any recurrence and a comprehensive review of all aspects of data handling has been initiated, the spokesperson added.
The CD went missing on 6 May but the spokesperson said the inquiry has been advised that there are currently no grounds to suspect that there will be any adverse consequences as a result of this loss.
