Ocean County Leader

Geraldine Finucane, the widow of Northern Ireland human rights attorney Patrick Finucane, along with her three adult children, will testify at a Capitol Hill hearing next week. The hearing is chaired by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) and focuses on the recent establishment of an independent inquiry into Patrick Finucane's murder in 1989.

The session is scheduled for Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at 11:00 am ET and will take place in Room 2200 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Witnesses include Geraldine Finucane and her children John, Katherine, and Michael.

Patrick Finucane was killed in his Belfast home on February 12, 1989. Human rights organizations have linked loyalist paramilitaries and British Security forces to his death. Despite these connections, the British government has historically resisted calls for an independent judicial inquiry into its security services' involvement in such murders.

Representative Chris Smith commented on the family's efforts over the years: “For 35 years, the Finucane family has steadfastly and honorably pursued an independent public inquiry into the state-sponsored collusion and brutal murder which took the life of leading human rights attorney Pat Finucane, husband and father of three children.”

Smith praised their dedication: “Geraldine Finucane and her children—now grown, successful adults—have left no stone unturned in their skillful, tireless legal pursuit. Their admirable and unyielding dedication to truth and justice—in the face of tremendous government and paramilitary opposition—righty reflects the work and legacy of Pat Finucane and a family committed to the rule of law.”