Irish Americans have welcomed the news that a public inquiry will be held into the 1989 murder of Belfast human rights lawyer Pat Finucane.
Finucane, 39, was shot and killed by members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), a loyalist paramilitary group, at his home in front of his wife Geraldine and three children on February 12, 1989. His family has campaigned for truth and justice ever since.
In 2012, then-British Prime Minister David Cameron apologized to the Finucane family after Sir Desmond de Silva's report found "shocking levels of collusion" in the lawyer's murder.
In 2020, the British Government announced it would not be pursuing a public inquiry into the murder of Finucane.
That, however, has now changed.
On September 11, Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, said the British Government's commitment to establish an inquiry into the death of Finucane "remains unfulfilled."
He said: "It is for this exceptional reason that I have decided to establish an independent inquiry into the death of Patrick Finucane under the 2005 Inquiries Act."
He added: "I hope that this inquiry will – finally - provide the information that the Finucane family has sought for so long."
Benn said the British Government will seek to appoint a Chair of the Inquiry and establish its Terms of Reference as soon as possible.
The UK Government will now seek to appoint an Inquiry Chair and establish the Inquiry's Terms of Reference as soon as possible. 2/2
— Northern Ireland Office (@NIOgov) September 11, 2024
Pat Finucane's son John, now a Sinn Féin MP for North Belfast, described the announcement of the inquiry as a "watershed moment," adding that every bit of progress his family has achieved was fought for and was never handed to them.
My family’s sole objective in our 35-year long campaign has been the truth.
The announcement of an inquiry by the British government marks a watershed moment for not just my family, but for legacy on our island.
It is now my sincere hope that we can at last uncover the full… pic.twitter.com/75OZYTFpMc
— John Finucane MP (@johnfinucane) September 12, 2024
Prominent Irish Americans have welcomed the news of the public inquiry.
The AOH, the largest Irish American organization in the US, said: “The decision to finally proceed with this inquiry is a critical step toward addressing one of the most horrific killings of the Northern Ireland Conflict.
“However, our joy in the welcome news of an inquiry is tempered by the fact that it has taken far too long to get here along a road littered with broken British promises and bureaucratic roadblocks.”
The AOH said it is “concerned” by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State's statement that this inquiry is an "exceptional" circumstance.
“There is no doubt that the murder of Pat Finucane was exceptional, exceptional in its barbarity, inhumanity, and the callousness shown by government officials more dedicated to protecting their organizations than the people they were sworn to serve,” the AOH said.
“Like the Finucanes, hundreds of other families are awaiting justice in Derry, Ballymurphy, Loughinisland, Dublin, Monaghan, and many more communities throughout Ireland.
“These families also deserve transparency and accountability. It is essential to acknowledge that the decision to hold a public inquiry in this instance should not be viewed as a special case but rather a start on a broader commitment to addressing the legacy of Northern Ireland's troubled past comprehensively and equitably. Every family who has suffered loss during the Troubles deserves the same opportunity to pursue justice, and the British government must commit to ensuring that this inquiry is not an isolated act but the beginning of a sincere effort to uncover the truth.”
The AOH said it will be “closely monitoring” the progress of the inquiry into Finucane’s murder and called upon the US government to “actively” do the same.
In a separate statement, the US-based, bipartisan Ad-Hoc Committee to Protect the Good Friday Agreement commended the announcement of an inquiry.
James Walsh, Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee, stated: “We hope this decision is a turning point and that the new Secretary of State will continue to consult and work with the various victims' groups to develop new legacy legislation that will at long last, provide the victims with some level of justice.”
Bruce A. Morrison, the other Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee, added: “I sincerely hope that this inquiry will be given free rein by the British Government to fully explore and report on the admitted government collusion in the Finucane murder. Another half-measure will not do.
"Also, approving this long-promised inquiry is no substitute for repeal and replacement of the Legacy Act with a victim-centered process for all.”
Meanwhile, US Congressman Richie Neal, Co-Chair of the Congressional Friends of Ireland Caucus, also welcomed the news of the inquiry, but noted that he is "anxiously awaiting more details from the British government on how they intend to proceed with this case going forward."
Neal said that he is hopeful that the inquiry "begins a process of long overdue vindication as it did for the Bloody Sunday families, the Guildford Four, and the Birmingham Six, who were all wrongly accused of crimes they did not commit, or worse."
He added that the Finucane family deserves the same sense of "forgiveness, exoneration, and vindication from the British government" that was shown to the Bloody Sunday families in 2002.
He said he will continue to be "a strong advocate for one of the most admirable, dignified, and determined families I have known during my over four-decade effort to bring peace and justice to the island of Ireland.
"In my opinion, the Finucanes are entitled to know the truth about who was responsible for what happened in their home that night in 1989 when they lost a young husband and father.”
I welcome the news from British Secretary of State Hilary Benn that the British government will be launching a long sought-after public inquiry into the 1989 murder of Pat Finucane. Years after public apologies, acknowledgment of state collusion, and concealment of evidence and… https://t.co/YCKt58Cjji
— Rep. Richard Neal (@RepRichardNeal) September 11, 2024
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