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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 20 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.Con.Res.20
                                                Agreed to March 15, 2007

                       One Hundred Tenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday,
            the fourth day of January, two thousand and seven

                          Concurrent Resolution

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 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 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 Dail 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 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

    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),  
That Congress--
        (1) expresses to the family of Patrick Finucane deepest 
    condolences on his death, commends their steadfast pursuit of 
    justice in his brutal murder, and thanks his wife Geraldine and son 
    Michael for their willingness to testify on this matter before 
    committees of the House of Representatives on numerous occasions;
        (2) supports the efforts of the Administration in seeking the 
    full implementation of the Weston Park Agreement and the 
    establishment of a full, independent, and public judicial inquiry 
    into the murder of Patrick Finucane;
        (3) calls on the Government of the United Kingdom 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 of Judge Cory, objections raised by 
    officials of the United States Government, other governments, and 
    international bodies, and the objections raised by Mr. Finucane's 
    family; and
        (4) urges the Government of the United Kingdom immediately to 
    establish a full, independent, and public judicial inquiry into the 
    murder of Patrick Finucane which would enjoy the full cooperation 
    and support of his family, the people of Northern Ireland, and the 
    international community as recommended by Judge Cory.
Attest:

                                 Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Attest:

                                               Secretary of the Senate.
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