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

One Hundred Tenth Congress

of the

United States of America 

AT THE FIRST SESSION 

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 
H. Con. Res. 20—2

of Mr. Finucane established under procedures of the Inquiries 

Act of 2005 and have called for the repeal of the Act;

Whereas the Da ́il E ́ ireann (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 
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Northern Ireland, and the international community as recommended by Judge Cory. 

Attest:

Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Attest:

Secretary of the Senate.