A tribunal into Cervical Check will be set up without delay according to the Health Minister.
The start of its work had been delayed earlier this year due to Covid-19.
Ms Justice Ann Power will chair the tribunal which was first announced last year.
The Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said the investigation will allow women to progress their cases in a sensitive manner, and without going to court.
The patient advocacy group 221+ has said it welcomes the appointment of an independent chair and hopes there will be resolution to issues including the regime of mandatory disclosure and the role of patient advocates.
The controversy first emerged in 2018 when it was revealed that a number of women had been given incorrect smear test results for cervical cancer.
