Pat Finucane public inquiry decision 'before November 30'
's brother Seamus, left, and son John.Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, , committed today to a November decision on a public inquiry into Mr Finucane's murder. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire
A decision will be made before November 30 on whether a public inquiry will be held into the murder of solicitor , a High Court in the has heard.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, , committed to the decision on the public inquiry today and apologised to Geraldine Finucane, Mr Finucane's widow, for the delay.
Representing Ms Finucane, said: “It is unfortunate that we have had to resort to extensive litigation over the last three decades in order to protect and vindicate ’s rights.
“We expect that the Secretary of State will now take the only legitimate course available to him and announce a full public judicial inquiry and that we will not need to resort to further court proceedings.”
Mr Lewis made the commitment today resulting from Ms Finucane's legal challenge against the British Government’s inaction after a finding that Mr Finucane's death was never investigated fully.
Last year, the Supreme Court in the ruled that the decision not to hold a public inquiry following this finding was not a matter of law but for the government’s “political judgment”.
, 39, was shot dead at his north Belfast home in front of his family by loyalists colluding with rogue members of the security forces in 1989.
Mr Finucane's family have been campaigning for a public inquiry into the full scale of collusion between loyalists and the security forces for the killing.
