The Hillsborough inquest jury are expected to start considering their verdict in February.
The longest running inquest in British legal history is due to finish hearing evidence by Christmas.
Coroner Sir John Goldring today told the jury that the final phase – the medical and pathological evidence for each of the 96 – was likely to have finished by the Christmas break and there was not expected to be more evidence after that.
He said he was due to start his summing up of the case on January 25 and expected it to take about three weeks.
Sir John said: “After it’s over, you will retire to consider a series of written questions which will be carefully set out for you.”
The court will not sit for the week beginning February 15 due to a half term break, meaning that it is likely the jury will go out to consider their decision around February 22.
But the coroner said the dates were not “set in stone”.
Lord Justice Goldring at the Coroners Court in Warrington. Picture Jason Roberts.
He said: “A little reassurance: you will be provided with as much help as is possible to enable you to answer the questions. So don’t worry about it.
“I can’t obviously forecast how long it will take you to reach your decisions.
“I can’t therefore say by when the inquests will be over.”
The hearings started on March 31 in 2014 and were originally expected to last for six to nine months.
Seven women and four men were initially selected to the jury, although one man was later discharged due to “wholly exceptional medical reasons”.
Portraits of the 96 Liverpool fans lost at Hillsborough
Pictures/Video: How the disaster unfolded
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Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/