Patrick Finucane, Belfast lawyer

Shot to death in circumstances that have yet to be explained

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On 12 February 1989 Belfast lawyer Patrick Finucane was shot dead. Masked gunmen entered his home and shot him 14 times in front of his wife and children. His wife was also injured. The Ulster Freedom Fighters immediately claimed responsibility for the murder.

Mr. Finucane had been representing a number of people detained under emergency legislation. His clients included those from both sides of the political divide.

A few weeks earlier, in a debate in the British House of Commons, Mr. Douglas Hogg, then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, said: "I have to state as a fact, but with regret, that there are in Northern Ireland a number of solicitors who are unduly sympathetic to the cause of the IRA." He gave no evidence to support this, only adding: "...I state it on the basis of advice that I have received, guidance that I have been given by people who are dealing with these matters, and I shall not expand on it further."

Prior to his death, Mr. Finucane had received a number of death threats. Details of these are given in the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, par. 62. These threats were made to the lawyer's clients by RUC officers (during interviews at which the lawyer was not allowed access). One in particular stated that he was told by an RUC officer that it "would be better if he [Patrick Finucane] were dead than defending the like of you". Other clients of Mr. Finucane also reported that numerous death threats were made against their lawyer. One in particular said that an RUC officer

"informed me that my solicitor was working for the IRA, and would meet his end also ... He asked me to give MR. Finucane a message from him ... He told me to tell him he is a thg in a suit, a person trying to let on he is doing his job, and that he, like every other fenian bastand, would meet his end."

Mr. Finucane also reported having received threatening phone calls at home.

But the author of that report wrote: "...the Special Rapporteur does wish to emphasize that following the murder of Patrick Finucane the RUC unequivocally stated that Patrick Finucane was not a member of the IRA or any other Catholic paramilitary organization." (par. 25) Yet while senior RUC officers may have taken that position, others appear to have identified Mr. Finucane with the IRA. The UN Special Rapporteur quotes (par. 25) from John Stalker, who reported a conversation between himself and a sergeant of the RUC, referring to a lawyer who must have been Mr. Finucane:

"The solicitor is an IRA man – any man who represents IRA is worse that an IRA man. His brother is an IRA man also and I have to say that I believe a senior policeman of your rank should not be seen speaking to the likes of either of them. My colleagues have asked me to tell you that you have embarrassed all of us in doing that. I will be reporting this conversation and what you have done to my superiors."

Since Mr. Finucane's death, evidence has come to light which strongly suggests collusion between military intelligence agents and Loyalist paramilitary organizations in his killing.
 
 

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