A judge in the trial of Solider F, a former British paratrooper accused of two murders on Bloody Sunday, has ruled that hearsay evidence from two other former soldiers will be allowed.
The decision will be reviewed after the close of the prosecution case.
Soldier F is charged with the murders of 22-year-old Jim Wray and 26-year-old William McKinney in Glenfada Park in Derry on 30 January 1972.
He is also charged with five attempted murders on the same day.
The former British paratrooper denies all of the charges.
His defence team challenged the admissibility of statements from soldiers G and H which place Soldier F at the scene of the fatal shootings.
Soldier G is dead and Soldier H has indicated that he is not prepared to give evidence in the trial, invoking his legal right not to incriminate himself.
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In a ruling in Belfast Crown Court, Judge Patrick Lynch said that by its own acknowledgement the prosecution's case "is totally dependent upon hearsay statements attributed to two soldiers".
He then said that after careful consideration, he had determined that the statements from soldiers G and H should be admitted into evidence.
He said it would be inappropriate at this stage to give reasons for his decision.
Dozens of relatives of the Bloody Sunday victims were in court to hear the ruling.
Afterwards Ciaran Shiels, a solicitor for the families, described it as a good day for them "and a bad day for Soldier F".
A total of 13 people were shot and killed by the parachute regiment following a civil rights march in the Bogside area of Derry on the afternoon of Sunday 30 January 1972.
The former paratrooper known as Soldier F, who cannot be identified, is also charged with five attempted murders during the incident, namely of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon, Patrick O'Donnell and a person unknown.
The trial has been adjourned until Friday, with the first evidence due to be heard on Monday.
