Finucane Family Win Right To Judicial Review

The family of murdered solicitor Pat Finucane has won the right for a judicial review into the government’s decision not to launch a public inquiry into his death.

Mr. Finucane, a Catholic solicitor, was shot dead by loyalists while eating his Sunday dinner in his North Belfast home in 1989.

The family who have been campaigning for a full independent inquiry into his murder had their hopes dashed back in October when Prime Minister, David Cameron said that he would only offer a QC-led review of the case.

Following this the Finucane family wanted a judicial review of the government's decision to appoint a lawyer to investigate the case. The judicial review into that decision will now take place in May.

John Finucane, Mr. Finucane’s son, said that he was pleased with the decision as it would lead them a step closer to a full hearing into his father’s murder.

The Background

Mr Finucane was shot 14 times as he sat eating a meal at his Belfast home with his three children and wife, who was wounded in the attack.

His killing was one of the most controversial during The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Finucane came to prominence due to successfully challenging the British Government over several important human rights cases in the 1980s.

Pat Finucane's best-known client was the IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. He also represented other IRA and Irish National Liberation Army hunger strikers who died during the 1981 Maze prison protest, Brian Gillen and the widow of Gervaise McKerr, one of three men shot dead by the RUC in a so-called "shoot-to-kill" incident in 1982.

In 1988 he represented Pat McGeown who was charged in connection with the infamous and bloody Army Corporals killings.

His killing was widely suspected by human rights groups to have been perpetrated in collusion with officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and, in 2003, the British Government Steven's Report stated that the killing was indeed carried out with the collusion of police in Northern Ireland.

The Ulster Defence Association/Ulster Freedom Fighters (UDA/UFF) claimed they killed the 39-year-old solicitor because he was a high-ranking officer in the IRA.

Police at his inquest said they had no evidence to support this claim. Finucane had represented republicans in many high profile cases, but he had also represented loyalists.

Several members of his family had republican links, but the family strongly denied Finucane was a member of the IRA.

In September 2004 UDA member and security force informer, Ken Barrett, pleaded guilty to his murder. But he served only two years, released in May 2006, under the terms of The Good Friday Agreement.

Meanwhile a former judge was appointed to investigate the allegations of collusion surrounding Finucane's murder and other killings.

The retired Canadian Judge Peter Cory later suggested inquiries into Mr Finucane's death, as well as inquiries into the murders of Portadown Catholic Robert Hamill, solicitor Rosemary Nelson and Loyalist Volunteer Force leader Billy Wright.

The three other inquiries have already been held.

(LB/GK)