Northern Ireland: Welcome step by high court in Patrick Finucane case

Amnesty International is calling on the UK government to ensure accountability for the 1989 killing of Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane after today's ruling by the High Court in Northern Ireland that his family can judicially review the UK government's October 2011 decision to order a paper-based review rather than a full, independent, human right-compliant inquiry into his death.

The full judicial review hearing is now expected to take place in May.

Nicola Duckworth, Director of the Europe and Central Asia Programme at Amnesty International, said:

"The United Kingdom’s government haS,  for over two decades, failed dismally to fulfil its obligation to establish a full, independent, impartial inquiry into the killing of Patrick Finucane.

“Despite now having accepted there was collusion in his killing, the United Kingdom appears unwilling to establish a process for establishing the truth and ensuring accountability in a manner consistent with its international obligations.

"The fact that the Finucane family have had to continue their struggle at every stage through the courts to fight for the truth, the truth to which they are entitled under international human rights law, is both a sad reminder of the continuing obstacles to accountability in Northern Ireland and a testament to the family’s bravery.”

• For further information see Amnesty's briefing on the Finucane Inquiry (PDF)