Unionist MPs allege ‘hierarchy’ for victims as Finucane public inquiry announced

Unionist MPs have alleged a “hierarchy” for victims in response to the UK Government’s announcement of a public inquiry into the death of human rights lawyer Pat Finucane.Mr Finucane, 39, was shot dead at his family home in north Belfast in February 1989 by the Ulster Defence Association in an attack found by a series of probes to have involved collusion with the state.In a statement to the Commons on Tuesday the Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said that all the previous investigations into the murder of Mr Finucane had not been compliant with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Unionist MPs said this was unfair to the families of other victims who will have their cases assessed under a new mechanism established to examine Troubles killings in Northern Ireland – the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).Mr Benn highlighted that the Finucane case is unique due to the allegations of state collusion and the fact that the British Government previously pledged to open a public inquiry on two occasions but have to-date failed to do so.DUP leader Gavin Robinson said the Supreme Court decided that investigation could satisfy Article Two compliance, rather than a full public inquiry.He said: “(Mr Benn) has said today that the ICRIR not only has his trust and confidence, but has the ability to perform such tasks for other families.“So when he rightly says families across Northern Ireland will ask the question ‘what about us?’. So too, do I.”He added: “I would ask him in repudiating the ICRIR, in suggesting today that it is not an appropriate mechanism for the Finucane family, and I do not besmirch their grief or their quest for truth and justice, but it is appropriate for every other – how can we honestly look victims in the eye and say that there isn’t a hierarchy?”Mr Benn said that “there should not be a hierarchy”, adding: “in this particular case, and that doesn’t apply to any of the others, the Government of our country made a commitment twice, once at Weston Park, and secondly, from the then secretary of state, made a commitment to establish a public inquiry, and I think it’s right and proper that a government in the past having made that commitment that we honour it.”DUP MP for East Antrim Sammy Wilson, accused Mr Benn of choosing to “acquiesce to the demands of the family in having another inquiry,” while TUV MP Jim Allister questioned “has there ever been a family given more preferential handling by government, than the Finucane family?”Mr Benn repeatedly defended both the ICRIR and the Government’s decision to grant a public inquiry in the case of Pat Finucane.He said: “It is a fact that when then prime minister David Cameron apologised from this dispatch box, it was unprecedented. It was.“Because he referred to shocking collusion in this case, and we should take that extremely seriously as members of this house, all of us who are committed to upholding our obligations.”SDLP leader Colum Eastwood commended the Finucane family, including Pat’s widow Geraldine for their “tireless campaigning”, as did his predicted successor Claire Hanna.Ms Hanna told the House of Commons: “The brutal murder of Pat Finucane in front of his wife and children, was mired in collusion before that killing and in the many long years since”.Ms Hanna referred to victims of IRA member and British Intelligence mole Freddie Scappaticci and the family of Sean Brown, a GAA official murdered by loyalists and whose family have similar concerns to the Finucanes’ in regards to state collusion.The MP for South Belfast said that “many other families have faced obstruction from state and non-state actors in their quest for truth and a reconciled future”.She continued: “Will the Secretary of State now commit to the same swiftness and determination to removing the barriers that are placed in front of those families in their quest for truth?”Mr Benn said “we have a huge task, all of us collectively, to play our part in enabling families to find out answers that they haven’t yet had”, as he welcomed that the ICRIR have begun a number of investigations.He said: “I think that is significant because there are those who say no one should go anywhere near ICRIR because of its origins and parentages, if I may use that phrase, but having taken the decision that it will remain in place, it does have powers.“It does have the ability to get information, it does have the ability to question people, it has said that it wants to develop a system of they call ‘enhanced inquisitorial procedure’, which is public hearings.“And of course, hearings in public are really important to many families, because they want the truth to come out, to be able to question, but crucially for justice to be seen, to be done.”

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