Murdered solicitor's widow wants immediate inquiry

The widow of murdered Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane is taking court action today in a bid to force the British government into holding an immediate inquiry into her husband’s killing.

The British government announced earlier this month that it was going to set up public inquiries into three other contentions murders but that one into the UDA murder of Mr Finucane in front of his family in his north Belfast home in 1989 would not take place until after the judicial process was complete – a man is awaiting trial on a murder charge.

Recommendations for public inquiries into allegations that the security forces colluded in the four murders were made in reports by retired Canadian Supreme Court judge Peter Cory which were published by the Government earlier this month.

The Finucane family have been outraged by the refusal to hold an immediate inquiry into the murder of their loved one and had started the legal process even before the Cory Report was published.

Judge Cory told them privately what he had recommended well before the reports were published.

In early March Mrs Finucane was granted a Judicial Review to contest the British government’s decision not to hold an inquiry and the hearing will begin today.