Inquiries may not start work until autumn

PUBLIC inquiries into three controversial murders in the North may not begin their work until the autumn, it emerged last night.

The British Government is expected to go worldwide in its hunt for legal teams to chair inquiries into the killings of human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson, Catholic father-of-two Robert Hamill and loyalist terror boss Billy Wright.

But the family of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane will have to wait longer for an inquiry into his shooting until criminal prosecutions finish later in the year. Loyalist Ken Barrett is awaiting trial in connection with Mr Finucane’s murder.

Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy said the inquiries would, like the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, have the full powers of the British High Court to compel witnesses and papers.