Statement from CAJ on the Supreme Court judgment in the case of Pat Finucane
February 27, 2019CAJ is pleased with the unanimous decision of the UK Supreme Court to uphold the appeal taken by Geraldine Finucane in relation to the murder of her husband Pat Finucane.
Pat Finucane was murdered on 12 February 1989 and although David Cameron admitted in 2012 that there were ‘shocking levels of collusion’ in this murder no one has ever been held to account.
Today the Court held that none of the inquiries into this murder, including the De Silva review, have been proper investigations and that the UK has not complied with its obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (right to life) to carry out an effective investigation.
The Court reached its decision as none of the inquiries were granted powers to compel the attendance of witnesses and, as a result of this, no individual has been identified as being responsible for the collusion which the UK government has admitted to.
Brian Gormally, Director of CAJ, said: “The judgment of the Supreme Court today has vindicated Geraldine Finucane and her family in their long pursuit for justice. Thirty years after the murder of Pat Finucane, in which the UK government has admitted collusion, there is an urgent need for a fully independent Article 2 public inquiry into this murder.
“David Cameron apologized that there were ‘shocking levels of collusion’ in this murder yet still there has not been a proper investigation into this death compliant with international human rights obligations. This needs to take place immediately to restore faith in the rule of law.”
The press summary of the UK Supreme Court judgment can be found here: https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/docs/uksc-2017-0058-press-summary.pdf
Please direct media enquiries to Robyn Scott, Communications & Equality Coalition Coordinator. Email robyn@caj.org.uk or call 028 9031 6000