The Steven's Inquiry has started preparations for a public inquiry into the 1989 murder of solicitor, Pat Finucane, even though the British government has refused to commit itself to the holding of such an inquiry.
A working group has been set up as part of the team led by Sir John Stevens and is "doing preparation work for a potential inquiry", according to a spokesperson. It is understood it was set up last October when Judge Peter Cory presented his report into the murder to the government. Cory recommended a public inquiry.
Last year, Stevens said there had been collusion between the British authorities and the loyalist paramilitary UDA in the murder.
British and Irish Rights Watch, the organization which prepared the report on the Finucane murder which led to the establishment of Stevens' third inquiry, this weekend called on Stevens to speak out. "Sir John Stevens has been used to delay an inquiry – he should now come out and say he supports one,"said BIRW director, Jane Winter. Stevens was not available for comment.
Belfast's High Court heard a claim on Thursday that a senior detective on the Stephen's inquiry, Dave Cox, told the Finucane family that "they felt they were being encouraged to say there was a whole string of prosecutions in the pipeline and that they were being used to block the setting up of a public inquiry."
The claim was made by Seamus Treacey QC during a judicial review to try to force the British to hold an inquiry as agreed during the Weston Park talks four years ago. Treacey, acting for Finucane's widow, Geraldine, told the court the British secretary of state for NI, Paul Murphy had deliberately misled the House of Commons. "There are very powerful interests at play who don't want this inquiry," said Treacey.
Michael Finucane, the murdered man's son, said this weekend that he would be concerned if the Stevens working group indicated "a limited form" of examination of the case. "We need a full public inquiry, not another secret arrangement," he said.(
