Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chair of a well-respected human rights commission in the U.S. Congress, today welcomed the formal announcement by the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, MP, in which he appointed a chair and two assessors for the long-awaited inquiry into the 1989 murder of human rights attorney Patrick Finucane.

“Today’s announcement of a chair and two assessors to lead the Patrick Finucane Inquiry is an important step forward,” Smith said.

“As the difficult and critical work begins, we again encourage the British government and the Patrick Finucane Inquiry chair, Sir Gary Hickinbottom, to work with the Finucane family to establish terms of reference that ensure that the inquiry will be the full, independent, public judicial inquiry that the family is owed – one empowered to establish the full facts of the case, including the identity of those responsible for the government collusion in the murder of Patrick Finucane.”

In April, Smith spearheaded a letter to Benn, cosigned by a bipartisan group of more than two dozen Members of the U.S. Congress, reiterating the widespread and consistent support in the U.S. Congress for the Finucane family which has steadfastly pursued an independent inquiry into Pat Finucane’s murder. 

In their letter, the U.S. lawmakers urged Benn to follow through on a commitment he made last year to set up the independent commission and recommended that it be “resourced fully and able to carry out its investigation without restriction.”  They enumerated several internationally recognized standards for the inquiry and said that the UK Government should carry out direct communication with the Finucane family. 

Smith’s bipartisan congressional letter followed a groundbreaking hearing held at the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on Capitol Hill at which all four members of Patrick Finucane’s immediate family, his wife Geraldine and his three adult children—Michael, John, and Katherine—testified seeking support.

“For over 35 years the Finucane family have steadfastly and honorably pursued an independent public inquiry into British government collusion in the murder of their beloved husband and father. In 2012, the British finally conceded state-sponsored collusion in the murder of the human rights lawyer, but they spent the next 13 years denying justice to the Finucane family,” said Smith.

“So many human rights advocates and leaders have supported the Finucane family and this significant centerpiece case for justice for a very long time,” said the internationally known human rights lawmaker. “State-sponsored collusion, admitted by the government, must be addressed if people are to have confidence in their government and the administration of justice in their country,” he said.

Smith has been a leading advocate for victims of the Troubles in Northern Ireland with an added focus on the Finucane family’s quest for justice. He is the author of a U.S. law and other congressional resolutions supporting human rights in Northern Ireland and urging the government of the United Kingdom to establish a full, independent, and public judicial inquiry in the murders of Patrick Finucane and Rosemary Nelson who was murdered in a paramilitary car bombing in March of 1999.

Smith, who has chaired 22 congressional hearings on justice in Northern Ireland, 11 at which a member of the Finucane family testified, praised the family’s long, tireless quest for justice.

“Now that the panel has been set, I urge its members do everything they can to share accurate and trustworthy data with the Finucane family and receive their outstanding testimonies,” Smith said. “No one has been more tenacious, noble, and dedicated than Geraldine and her children in the search for truth and justice. Real answers here are critical to ensure justice for the family, to further the reconciliation process, and underscore the fundamental need for truth to inform government policy and ensure the legitimacy of policing, the rule of law, and justice in Northern Ireland."

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