The Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has announced the establishment of an independent inquiry into the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane
The 39-year-old was shot by loyalist paramilitaries at his home in 1989 in front of his wife and children
Previous examinations of the case have found evidence of state collusion in the killing
Geraldine Finucane, Pat's wife, has told the press that it is 'time for truth' after her family's 'long journey'
Hilary Benn says: "Mr Speaker, many of us in this House, remember the savage brutally of the Troubles.
"A truly terrible time in our history and we most never forget most of the deaths."
He then pays tribute to "the armed forces, police, security services, the vast majority of whom, served with distinction and honour."
The NI Secretary says he has met with Mrs Finucane to inform her and the family of his decision to proceed with the inquiry.
Hilary Benn says a 2003 investigation concluded that "there had been state collusion" in the killing of Mr Finucane and the government committed to establish an inquiry, but was unable to "reach agreement" with the Finucane family after several attempts.
Hillary Benn says he has decided to establish an independent inquiry into the death of Patrick Finucane under the 2005 Inquiries Act.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn begins his statement by saying that in 2001 the UK and Irish governments agreed to establish public inquiries into a number of troubles related cases if recommend by an international judge.
In 2004, the judge recommend that the UK government hold public inquires into four deaths those of Rosemary Nelson, Robert Hamill, Billy Wright and Pat Finucane.
He notes the Finucane inquiry was never fulfilled.
Hilary Benn is now addressing the Commons.
The Finucane family have campaigned for a full public inquiry into the murder for many years and have repeatedly insisted that they will not accept anything less.
Mr Finucane's son John became a Sinn Féin councillor and lord mayor of Belfast and has served as MP for Belfast North since 2019.
The family believes a public inquiry, where the veracity of documents and witnesses can be tested under cross-examination, is the best way of getting to the truth about the extent of security force collusion and exactly who knew what.
Image source, bbcIn the course of his work, Mr Finucane had represented a number of high-profile IRA prisoners, some of whom had taken part in hunger strikes at the Maze Prison.
The year before he died he had defended former IRA hunger striker Pat McGeown, who had been charged with helping to organise the murder of two Army corporals who drove into an IRA funeral cortege in west Belfast.
The mourners dragged the corporals from their car and took them to waste ground where they were shot dead by IRA gunmen.
The abduction was captured on TV and remains among the most disturbing images of the Troubles.
Mr Finucane succeeded in getting the charges against his client dropped, but a double agent passed a photograph of the solicitor, taken outside the court, to his killers.
The double agent was Brian Nelson, who compiled information on potential targets for the UDA, while at the same time working for Army intelligence.
Image source, PA MediaHilary Benn is the Northern Ireland Secretary following the Labour Party's general election victory in the summer.
Mr Benn is a veteran parliamentarian representing Leeds Central in the House of Commons since 1999 and now the new Leeds South constituency.
He was previously the shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland since September 2023.
He also served in the cabinet from 2003 to 2010 under Labour prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Mr Finucane was shot in front of his wife and three children at their family home in north Belfast on 12 February 1989.
The family were eating a Sunday meal at their kitchen table when loyalist paramilitaries used a sledgehammer to break into their house.
They opened fire, shooting the solicitor 14 times. He died at the scene.
The Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), a cover name for the UDA, later admitted carrying out the murder.
They claimed they had killed "Pat Finucane, the IRA officer".
The solicitor's family have always vehemently rejected any claim Mr Finucane had been a member of the IRA and have been supported in this by the police.
Image source, Pacemaker
Image source, PacemakerPat Finucane's death was one of the most controversial killings during the Troubles - the decades of conflict in Northern Ireland that claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people.
Pat Finucane was a high-profile solicitor who lived and worked in Belfast.
In his role as a defence solicitor, he had represented both loyalists and republicans, including prominent members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
He was shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries from the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in 1989.
Good afternoon and welcome to our coverage of the Commons as the Northern Ireland Secretary is scheduled to deliver an oral statement.
Hilary Benn is expected to confirm if a public inquiry will be ordered into the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane.
Stay with us for the latest updates.
