[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 20 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 20


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 31, 2007

                                Received

                           February 17, 2007

             Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
    Calling on the Government of the United Kingdom to immediately 
  establish a full, independent, and public judicial inquiry into the 
   murder of Northern Ireland defense attorney Patrick Finucane, as 
 recommended by Judge Peter Cory as part of the Weston Park Agreement, 
    in order to move forward on 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 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 of Mr. Finucane established under 
        procedures of the Inquiries Act of 2005 and have called for the repeal 
        of the Act;
Whereas the Dial Eireann (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 Northern 
        Ireland, and the international community as recommended by 
        Judge Cory.

            Passed the House of Representatives January 30, 2007.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.