Minister nears decision on Finucane murder inquiry
The British government is set to make a final decision on whether to hold a public inquiry into security force links to the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane in the North, it was announced today.
Police probes have already found evidence of collusion in the infamous killing carried out by the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in Belfast in 1989.
But while a full public inquiry was promised by government in 2004 as part of the developing peace process, the Finucane family has since said that new legislation on inquiries robs them of true independence.
Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson said he had met with the Finucane family earlier this week and now planned to spend two months considering the case before making a decision on whether or not to hold an inquiry.
"I believe it is right that I should determine the way forward in this case and that consequently I should set out a clear decision making process both to the House and to the Finucane family," he said in a ministerial statement released at Westminster.
"I met the family on the November 8 to listen to their views and I have written to them formally inviting their representations as to whether it is in the public interest that I should establish a public inquiry into the death of Patrick Finucane.
"I will consider those representations carefully and in detail, along with any other relevant representations that I receive over the next two months, before deciding this question.
"In addition to considering representations on the case, I shall also need to take into account a broad range of other factors in determining what the public interest requires."
He said the other factors he would consider when deciding the public interest would include:
* The commitment given to the House of Commons in 2004 in relation to an inquiry;
* The conclusions of reviews and investigations into the case and the extent to which the case had caused, and was capable of causing, public concern;
* The experience of the other inquiries established after the commitments made by government following political talks on the North;
* The delay that had occurred since the 2004 announcement and the potential length of any inquiry;
* Political developments that had taken place in Northern Ireland since 2004;
* The potential cost of any inquiry and the current pressures on the UK Government's finances.
He added: "It is my intention to consider the public interest carefully and in detail at the end of the two month period for representations and then to take a decision after such consideration as to whether or not to hold a public inquiry into the death of Patrick Finucane."
