[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 740 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 740

    Calling on the Government of the United Kingdom to immediately 
establish a full, independent, public judicial inquiry into the murder 
 of Northern Ireland defense attorney Pat Finucane, as recommended by 
international Judge Peter Cory as part of the Weston Park agreement and 
         a way forward for the Northern Ireland Peace Process.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 28, 2006

    Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. King of New York, Mr. 
   Gallegly, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. Payne, Mr. Pallone, Mr. 
 Pascrell, Mr. Crowley, Mrs. McCarthy, Mrs. Maloney, Mr. Sweeney, Mr. 
Walsh, Mr. McNulty, and Mr. Engel) submitted the following resolution; 
     which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Calling on the Government of the United Kingdom to immediately 
establish a full, independent, public judicial inquiry into the murder 
 of Northern Ireland defense attorney Pat Finucane, as recommended by 
international Judge Peter Cory as part of the Weston Park agreement and 
         a way forward for the Northern Ireland Peace Process.

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 numerous international bodies and non governmental human rights 
        organizations have made note of serious allegations of collusion between 
        loyalist paramilitaries and British security forces in the murder of Mr. 
        Finucane;
Whereas in July, 2001, the Irish and British Governments made new commitments in 
        the Weston Park Agreement to hold public inquiries into high profile 
        murders if so recommended by the Honorable Judge Peter Cory, with it 
        being clearly understood that such an inquiry would be held under the 
        United Kingdom Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921;
Whereas Judge Cory found sufficient evidence of collusion to warrant a public 
        inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane and recommended that such an 
        inquiry take place without delay;
Whereas in his conclusions, Judge Cory set out the necessity and importance of a 
        public inquiry into the Finucane case and that the failure to hold a 
        public inquiry as quickly as reasonably possible could be seen as a 
        denial of the agreement at Weston Park;
Whereas on May 6, 2004, Judge Cory testified in Congress before the United 
        States Helsinki Commission and presented his report which is replete 
        with evidence of possible collusion relating to activities of the army 
        intelligence unit and the RUC in the Finucane case;
Whereas the United Kingdom adopted new legislation after the public release of 
        the Cory Report, the United Kingdom Inquiries Act 2005, which severely 
        limits the procedures of an independent inquiry and which has been 
        rejected as inadequate by Judge Cory, the Finucane family, the Irish 
        Government and human rights groups;
Whereas on March 15, 2005, Judge Cory submitted written testimony to the House 
        International Relations committee stating that the new legislation is 
        ``unfortunate to say the least'' and ``would make a meaningful inquiry 
        impossible'';
Whereas Judge Cory's written statement also stated that his recommendation for a 
        public inquiry into the Finucane case ``contemplated a true public 
        inquiry constituted and acting pursuant to the provisions of the 1921 
        Act '' and not the new 2005 Inquiries Act; and
Whereas the House of Representatives and Congress have passed legislation 
        supporting the establishment of an independent, judicial inquiry into 
        the murder of Patrick Finucane and deeply regrets the British 
        Government's failure to honor its commitment to implement Judge Cory's 
        recommendation in full: Now therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commends the Finucane family--wife Geraldine and son 
        Michael who have testified before Congress--for their 
        courageous campaign to seek the truth in this case of 
        collusion;
            (2) welcomes the passage of a resolution by the Dail 
        Eireann on March 8, 2006, calling for the establishment of a 
        full, independent, public judicial inquiry into the murder of 
        Patrick Finucane as the Irish Government's most recent 
        expression of support for the Finucane family;
            (3) acknowledges the United States Helsinki Commission and 
        the House of Representatives' International Relations' 
        subcommittees charged with human rights monitoring for their 
        work in highlighting this case through hearings and 
        legislation;
            (4) supports the efforts of The Honorable Mitchell Reiss, 
        President Bush's special envoy for the Northern Ireland Peace 
        Process, in pushing for the full implementation of the Weston 
        Park Agreement and the establishment of an independent, 
        judicial inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane; and
            (5) calls on the Government of the United Kingdom to--
                    (A) reconsider its position on the Finucane case to 
                take full account of the family's objections, Judge 
                Cory's objections, objections raised by officials of 
                the United States Government, other governments, and 
                international bodies, and amend the UK Inquiries Act of 
                2005; and
                    (B) establish immediately a full, independent, 
                public judicial inquiry into the murder of Pat 
                Finucane, as recommended by Judge Cory, which would 
                enjoy the full cooperation of the family and the wider 
                community throughout Ireland and abroad.
                                 <all>