Finucanes launch legal action for public inquiry
Posted By: September 28, 2019
IRISH CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING
Distributed to Congress by Irish National Caucus
“ England’s assassination of human rights attorney Pat Finucane in 1989 has forever indicted and stigmatized England’s role in a partitioned Ireland—and England’s collusion in the murder of so many other Catholics in Northern Ireland.
However, it is important to remember that when it suited, England did not hesitate to murder Protestants in Northern Ireland, as the murder of Raymond McCord, Jr. in 1997 proves. I say “England,” because Wales and Scotland can hardly be blamed (as Brexit increasingly illustrates).
—Fr. SeanMcManus
Geraldine Finucane, wife of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, yesterday lodged High Court proceedings in a bid to get a public inquiry into her husband’s 1989 killing.
Geraldine Finucane, wife of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, yesterday lodged High Court proceedings in a bid to get a public inquiry into her husband’s 1989 killing.
Marie Louise McConville. Irish News. Belfast. Friday, September 27, 2019
The wife of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane yesterday lodged High Court proceedings in a bid to get a public inquiry into her husband’s killing.
The 38-year-old was shot dead in front of his wife and children at his north Belfast home by a UDA hit squad, including British state agents, on February 12, 1989.
In February this year, the Supreme Court in London ruled there had been no “effective investigation” into Mr. Finucane’s death and previous inquiries had not complied with the family’s human rights.
Yesterday, Geraldine Finucane lodged proceedings against the secretary of state for Northern Ireland as a result of the failure to make a decision on how the British government should proceed in light of the declaration by the Supreme Court.
“In February, the Supreme Court ruled that all of the previous investigations into my husband’s murder were ineffective and did not meet the standards required by European human rights legislation and that it was for the British government to decide how to proceed in light of the Court’s judgment,” Mrs. Finucane said.
“Since that time two secretaries of state have promised to meet with my family and our legal representatives in order to have meaningful discussions. No meetings have been offered and the secretary of state has left me with no option but to bring court proceedings.”
Mrs. Finucane’s solicitor Peter Madden said: “I can confirm that we have today lodged judicial review proceedings in the High Court.
“The government should move to announce a full independent public inquiry with the powers to compel the production of documents and the public examination of witnesses.”
END.
The wife of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane yesterday lodged High Court proceedings in a bid to get a public inquiry into her husband’s killing.
The 38-year-old was shot dead in front of his wife and children at his north Belfast home by a UDA hit squad, including British state agents, on February 12, 1989.
In February this year, the Supreme Court in London ruled there had been no “effective investigation” into Mr. Finucane’s death and previous inquiries had not complied with the family’s human rights.
Yesterday, Geraldine Finucane lodged proceedings against the secretary of state for Northern Ireland as a result of the failure to make a decision on how the British government should proceed in light of the declaration by the Supreme Court.
“In February, the Supreme Court ruled that all of the previous investigations into my husband’s murder were ineffective and did not meet the standards required by European human rights legislation and that it was for the British government to decide how to proceed in light of the Court’s judgment,” Mrs. Finucane said.
“Since that time two secretaries of state have promised to meet with my family and our legal representatives in order to have meaningful discussions. No meetings have been offered and the secretary of state has left me with no option but to bring court proceedings.”
Mrs. Finucane’s solicitor Peter Madden said: “I can confirm that we have today lodged judicial review proceedings in the High Court.
“The government should move to announce a full independent public inquiry with the powers to compel the production of documents and the public examination of witnesses.”
END.
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