London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 11, 2025

Council of Europe reopens case of murdered Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane, putting pressure on UK over its role in killing

Council of Europe reopens case of murdered Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane, putting pressure on UK over its role in killing

The Council of Europe has re-opened the case of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane after the UK rejected an inquiry into his death in December, the human rights body said on Friday following a meeting of its 47 member states.
In an attack found to have involved collusion by the British state, 39-year-old Finucane was shot 14 times by members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in front of his wife and three children at his Belfast home in 1989.

The Council of Europe said it would "supervise the ongoing measures" taken by the UK to address the lack of a proper investigation into Finucane's murder, and called on Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman to provide an update.

The UK's Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told Parliament in December he had "considered" a public inquiry into the murder, but had chosen not to pursue one "at this time" and would instead allow the Ombudsman to continue its own review.

The murdered solicitor's son John Finucane, a Sinn Fein MP for Belfast North, said on Friday that the Council of Europe's move was a "hugely significant" step so that the "truth can finally emerge."

During the Troubles, Finucane represented both loyalist and republican paramilitaries, including the IRA hunger striker and MP Bobby Sands.

A British government inquiry published in 2003 found that the state had colluded with loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, and that there was also a willful failure to keep records, and an "absence of accountability."

Sir John Stevens, who led the inquiry, concluded in his report that collusion between the British security forces and loyalist paramilitaries had taken place in Finucane's murder and that of another man, 19-year-old student Brian Adam Lambert, two years earlier.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×