The U.S. House of Representatives today approved a resolution introduced by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) that calls on the British government to continue to advance the recent historic progress in the Northern Ireland peace process by following through on their promise of full “independent public judicial” investigation into the murder of Northern Ireland defense attorney Pat Finucane. 

    Smith’s resolution—H.Con.Res. 20—passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 364-34, with 25 members voting “present.”

    “This resolution calls on the British government to live up to its commitment—as part of the Northern Ireland peace process—to implement a public, independent, judicial inquiry into the murder of courageous human rights attorney and activist, Patrick Finucane. The questions of police collusion surrounding his murder need to be answered. The British government must comply with their own pledge to investigate the Finucane murder in order to build on the recent progress we have seen with the peace process,” said Smith. 

    Smith added, “New developments from the past week regarding community policing are greatly welcomed. And there is a new optimism that elections for new, devolved, power-sharing government will be held this spring. Yet, with reconciliation must come full disclosure of the truth.” 

    In 1989, Patrick Finucane was gunned down in his home in Belfast as his wife and three children watched. Numerous non-governmental human rights organizations have connected loyalist paramilitaries and British Security forces to his horrific murder. 

    Among other things, Smith’s resolution specifically calls on the British government to “reconsider its position on the matter of an inquiry into the murder of Mr. Finucane, to amend the Inquiries Act of 2005, and to take fully into account the objections…raised by the Finucane family.” 

    “The lack of resolution of charges of official collusion in the murder of a defense attorney, such as Mr. Finucane, leaves people to question the government’s commitment to accountability. His murder symbolizes the depth and danger of official State-sponsored collusion in Northern Ireland and a total disregard for the rule of law. It has left victims who deserve answers,” Smith, the author of three separate bills regarding human rights abuses by the police force in Northern Ireland, said during House consideration of the resolution.

    In 2001, as part of the Weston Park Agreement and in an attempt to help jump start the stalled Good Friday Agreement, the British and Irish governments pledged to follow Cory’s recommendation. After public release of the Cory report in 2004, the United Kingdom enacted legislation that limits the scope of an independent investigation. The legislation was subsequently rejected by Judge Cory, the Finucane family, the Irish Government and human rights groups.

    Last week a report was released by the police ombudsman detailing collusion between Northern Ireland police and criminals in dozens of violent attacks and murders of Catholics from the 1990’s all the way to 2003. The report’s release came prior to a historic vote by Sinn Fein this past Sunday to back the police force in Northern Ireland, which is a significant step in the peace process. 

    Smith noted that the fact that a police ombudsman exists indicated that policing in Northern Ireland is in fact “much improved” over what it was when the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998 and that Sunday’s vote by Sinn Fein is an acknowledgement of the policing reforms that will help push the peace process forward.

    Smith—who has held eleven hearings on the peace process in Northern Ireland during his tenure as chairman of the subcommittee on human rights and as chairman of the Helsinki Commission—said that resolution of the Finucane murder case is vital to the peace process.

    “During the Congressional hearings, one central, recurring theme was the concern about human rights abuses committed by members of the police service in Northern Ireland. It is vital to the peace process that human rights abuses by members of the police service in Northern Ireland are fully investigated. This includes an exhaustive investigation into the concerns about collusion in the Finucane murder,” said Smith.