Pat Finucane was shot dead at his family home in north Belfast by the loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Defence Association in February 1989, according to reports. His widow, Geraldine Finucane, was wounded in the attack, and the couple had three children. A series of investigations found the attack involved collusion with the state, though the specific evidence of that collusion has not been detailed.
The Finucane family has been campaigning for decades for a public inquiry to establish the extent of security force involvement. ' The terms of reference were developed following formal consultation with chair of the inquiry Sir Gary Hickinbottom, who consulted with the Finucane family, and they provided feedback and observations. The inquiry's investigation will seek to determine the circumstances of Pat Finucane's murder, establish the identity of all those involved and the nature of their involvement, and investigate whether the evidence indicates the murder could have been prevented.
This was a barbaric and heinous crime.
It will also investigate acts or omissions that are relevant to the murder, though the specific acts or omissions under investigation are not yet known. The inquiry will have the power to compel the production of documents and to summon witnesses to give evidence on oath. A timeline and budget for the inquiry is to be agreed within four months, but the exact schedule and costs remain undetermined.
I commend the tireless campaign of Mrs Finucane and her family over the course of 37 years in seeking answers about the brutal murder of their loved one, and I am pleased that the inquiry will now finally be able to get under way.