Ocean County Leader

At a congressional hearing chaired by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), the widow and three adult children of Patrick Finucane, a human rights attorney from Northern Ireland, expressed their expectations for an independent inquiry into his murder. Finucane was killed on February 12, 1989, in his Belfast home.

Smith, Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC), stated, “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.” He has chaired multiple congressional sessions on justice issues in Northern Ireland.

The hearing titled “Northern Ireland: The Pending British Inquiry into Collusion in the Murder of Patrick Finucane” follows an announcement by U.K. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn regarding an independent inquiry. This development comes after decades of resistance from the British government to investigate its security services' involvement in murders by loyalist paramilitaries.

This TLHRC session was significant as it marked the first time all members of the Finucane family—Patrick’s widow Geraldine and his children Katherine, John, and Michael—testified together before Congress.

Geraldine Finucane remarked, “After 35 years of cover-ups, it is time for truth.” She emphasized that a public examination could begin healing. Katherine Finucane shared her hopes for clarity about her father's death: “We can only move into the future when we have a clear sense of the past.”

John Finucane stressed their demand for transparency: “What we want is what we have always asked for... fully independent and transparent.” Michael Finucane reflected on his father's legacy: "What happened to him has been described as ‘life lost for the law’... ‘a life given for truth.’”

Smith acknowledged Geraldine and her children's efforts: “Geraldine Finucane and her children... have left no stone unturned in their skillful, tireless legal pursuit.” He praised their dedication to truth and justice against significant opposition.