III 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 20 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 31, 2007 

Received 

FEBRUARY 17, 2007 

Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Calling on the Government of the United Kingdom to immediately establish a full, independent, and public judicial 

inquiry into the murder of Northern Ireland defense 

attorney Patrick Finucane, as recommended by Judge 

Peter Cory as part of the Weston Park Agreement, in 

order to move forward on the Northern Ireland peace 

process. 

Whereas human rights defense attorney and solicitor Patrick 

Finucane was brutally murdered in front of his wife and 

children at his home in Belfast on February 12, 1989; 

Whereas many international bodies and nongovernmental 

human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, British Irish Rights Watch, the Committee for 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
2 

HCON 20 RFS 

the Administration of Justice, and Human Rights First, 

have called attention to serious allegations of collusion 

between loyalist paramilitaries and British security forces 

in the murder of Mr. Finucane; 

Whereas in July 2001 the Governments of Ireland and the 

United Kingdom under terms of the Weston Park Agreement appointed retired Canadian Judge Peter Cory to investigate the allegations of collusion between loyalist 

paramilitaries and British security forces in the murder 

of Mr. Finucane and other individuals; 

Whereas Judge Cory reported to the Governments of Ireland 

and the United Kingdom in April 2004 that sufficient 

evidence of collusion existed to warrant a full, independent, and public judicial inquiry into the murder of 

Mr. Finucane and recommended that a public inquiry 

take place without delay; 

Whereas the Government of the United Kingdom in April 

2005 adopted the Inquiries Act 2005 which empowers the 

Government to block scrutiny of state actions and limits 

independent action by the judiciary in inquiries held 

under its terms, and, after the enactment of this legislation establishing new limited inquiry procedures, the Government announced that an inquiry into the murder of 

Mr. Finucane would be established which would operate 

under terms of the new legislation; 

Whereas Judge Cory, in a written statement presented to the 

Committee on International Relations of the House of 

Representatives in 2005, stated that his 2004 recommendation for a public inquiry into the murder of Mr. 

Finucane had ‘‘contemplated a true public inquiry constituted and acting pursuant to the provisions of the 

1921 Act’’ (the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
3 

HCON 20 RFS 

1921), and also stated that ‘‘it seems to me that the proposed new Act would make a meaningful inquiry impossible’’; 

Whereas the family of Mr. Finucane has rejected the limited 

authority of an inquiry conducted under terms of the Inquiries Act of 2005; 

Whereas Amnesty International, British Irish Rights Watch, 

the Committee for the Administration of Justice, and 

Human Rights First have likewise rejected any proposed 

inquiry into the murder of Mr. Finucane established 

under procedures of the Inquiries Act of 2005 and have 

called for the repeal of the Act; 

Whereas the Dial Eireann (Parliament of Ireland) adopted a 

resolution on March 8, 2006, calling for the establishment of a full, independent, and public judicial inquiry 

into the murder of Patrick Finucane; 

Whereas the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal 

Year 2003 (Public Law 107–228) and House Resolution 

128 (April 20, 1999) support the establishment of a full, 

independent, and public judicial inquiry into the murder 

of Patrick Finucane; 

Whereas on May 18, 2006, the House of Representatives 

overwhelmingly agreed to House Resolution 740, which 

declared in part that the House of Representatives 

‘‘urges the Government of the United Kingdom immediately to establish a full, independent, and public judicial 

inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane’’; and 

Whereas on January 22, 2007, the Police Ombudsman for 

Northern Ireland released a comprehensive report which 

confirms that police in Northern Ireland have colluded 

with members of a loyalist paramilitary organization in 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
4 

HCON 20 RFS 

specific murders that took place over the last dozen years 

that the Ombudsman investigated and that such collusion 

could not have occurred ‘‘without the knowledge and support of the highest level’’ of the Northern Ireland police: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) expresses to the family of Patrick Finucane 

4 deepest condolences on his death, commends their 

5 steadfast pursuit of justice in his brutal murder, and 

6 thanks his wife Geraldine and son Michael for their 

7 willingness to testify on this matter before commit8 tees of the House of Representatives on numerous 

9 occasions; 

10 (2) supports the efforts of the Administration 

11 in seeking the full implementation of the Weston 

12 Park Agreement and the establishment of a full, 

13 independent, and public judicial inquiry into the 

14 murder of Patrick Finucane; 

15 (3) calls on the Government of the United 

16 Kingdom to reconsider its position on the matter of 

17 an inquiry into the murder of Mr. Finucane, to 

18 amend the Inquiries Act of 2005, and to take fully 

19 into account the objections of Judge Cory, objections 

20 raised by officials of the United States Government, 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS
5 

HCON 20 RFS 

1 other governments, and international bodies, and the 

2 objections raised by Mr. Finucane’s family; and 

3 (4) urges the Government of the United King4 dom immediately to establish a full, independent, 

5 and public judicial inquiry into the murder of Pat6 rick Finucane which would enjoy the full cooperation 

7 and support of his family, the people of Northern 

8 Ireland, and the international community as rec9 ommended by Judge Cory. 

Passed the House of Representatives January 30, 

2007. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMBILLS