The Ad Hoc commends the decision by the new Northern Ireland Secretary of State Hilary Benn to open a public inquiry regarding the murder of Patrick Finucane. For over three decades the Finucane family has persistently made the case that justice was not done in the initial and subsequent investigations of his cold blooded murder in front of his three children and his wife in the safety of their house.
Like so many other victims the Finucane family has demanded the truth and it is our great hope that they will finally get it. Over the last few years the Ad Hoc Committee has met with victim groups and raised this issue with various senior British officials making the case that the current legacy legislation is and remains deeply flawed. In our September 8, 2021 letter to then Prime Minister Boris Johnson we wrote,
“Much of the Committee’s focus has been on issues of legacy and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, and we were heartened in January 2020 when the New Decade, New Approaches agreement (NDNA) included a commitment by your government to implement the Stormont House Agreement on legacy issues. But that commitment has not been fulfilled.
Painful as it is, enduring reconciliation is dependent on accountability and transparency with respect to all participants in Troubles-related violence. There is no shortcut, and the GFA does not countenance one. It is tragic that so many years have been wasted with obfuscation and legal wrangling, but that does not justify abandoning the commitments made by the UK government to see the process through.
The right path is to put victims and survivors at the center of the process. If the passages of time and legal challenges are obstacles, work with them to make necessary changes. Only through them is there a route to reconciliation. Changes should be made with a keen awareness of long-term impact in Northern Ireland and on global human rights standards”
James Walsh, the 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 reign by the British Government to fully explore and report on the admitted government collusion in the Finucane murder. Another half-measure will not due. Also, approving this long-promised inquiry is no substitute for repeal and replacement of the Legacy Act with a victim centered process for all.”
09/13/2004 Contact: Kevin J. Sullivan For immediate release skjsully33@gmail.com
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