Judge Peter Cory, a former Justice of Canada’s Supreme Court who was appointed by both Great Britain and Ireland to investigate allegations of collusion in a number of high-profile murders in Ireland and Northern Ireland, will testify before the United States Helsinki Commission at a hearing called for and chaired by Commission Chairman Congressman Chris Smith (R-Hamilton).

    The hearing, which represents Judge Cory’s first official testimony after the public release of his report, will be on Wednesday May 5 at 11:30 a.m. in room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mrs. Geraldine Finucane, the widow of slain attorney Patrick Finucane, will also testify at the hearing.

    “In the Weston Park agreement of 2001, both the British and Irish governments recognized that serious questions of collusion by government security officials in high-profile murders continued to be a ‘source of grave concern’ as they tried to advance the peace process,” Smith said. 

    “Together they appointed an independent judge of international standing, Judge Cory, to investigate questions of collusion and make recommendations that would serve the interest of the public and help instill greater confidence in the Good Friday Agreement and government agencies charged with public law and safety,” Smith added.

    From June 2002 until October 2003, Judge Cory, conducted a thorough investigation of the allegations of collusion in six murder cases: Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan; defense attorney Pat Finucane; Lord Justice and Lady Gibson; Robert Hamill; defense attorney Rosemary Nelson, and Loyalist Volunteer Force member Billy Wright. 

    The judge submitted his final reports to Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahearn in October of 2003; and in December of that year, the Irish government published the reports relevant to its jurisdiction. The Irish government also accepted the recommendation to establish a public inquiry into the death of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan. No such recommendation was made in the case of Lord Justice and Lady Gibson.

    After several months, the British government published the reports in its jurisdiction and agreed to implement public inquiries into the murders of Rosemary Nelson, Robert Hamill and Billy Wright. To date, the British government has rejected the recommendation to initiate a public inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane.

    “Judge Cory’s report and testimony will help focus the necessary public scrutiny and attention on this matter so both governments will conduct timely, open and meaningful inquiries into all of these cases,” Smith said. “A just and lasting peace must be built on a transparent and honest assessment of the past,” he said. 

    Smith is the author of the current U.S. policy requiring the U.S. State Department to conduct a human rights review and block any exchanges with police personnel who may have condoned or participated in human rights abuses, including death threats against attorneys in Northern Ireland. 

    As Chairman of the Helsinki Commission and former Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights, Smith has held eight hearings on human rights and policing reform in Northern Ireland. His most recent hearing, held in March, featured testimony by Mrs. Nuala O’Loan, the police ombudsman, who provided compelling data reflecting the independence of the ombudsman’s office and progress that has been made investigating police complaints.