A United Nations official linked to a series of high profile cases in Northern Ireland, has said he will retire this month with his "only disappointment" being the failure to prevent the death of solicitor Rosemary Nelson.
Param Cumaraswamy is to step down as the UN's special rapporteur on the independence of lawyers and judges – a role which saw him safeguard the ability of lawyers around the globe to operate free from intimidation.
During his nine years in office, the Malaysian-born legal expert produced a series of highly publicised reports to the UN's commission on human rights in Geneva.
In his report of April 1998 he found that the RUC was involved in "activities which constitute intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference" with lawyers in the north, and called for an inquiry into the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane.
In the Irish News today (Saturday) Mr Cumaraswamy recalls meeting Mrs Nelson during a fact-finding trip to Northern Ireland, and recounts his efforts to have the government protect her life after she complained of security force intimidation that echoed the experience of Mr Finucane 10 years before.
Reflecting on his nine-year involvement in Northern Ireland, he says: "My only disappointment in the whole process is that Rosemary Nelson could have been saved and protected after the Patrick Finucane experience.
"Unfortunately we couldn't prevent (her murder) and that was my disappointment and sadness in this whole thing.
"And I only hope the authorities will be extremely cautious in seeing that similar murders are not committed. Particularly when it comes to lawyers discharging their duty."
The two murders are among six cases being considered by retired Canadian supreme court judge Peter Cory who later this year will rule on whether or not public inquiries are warranted.
Mr Cumaraswamy has already briefed the judge on his involvement in both cases.
The UN official today repeats his belief that inquiries should be held.
"My only other concern (is) that the longer this inquiry is delayed, they are going to lose evidence.
"And it will then be an exercise in futility," he adds.
In April this year, an interim report issued by investigators from the Metropolitan Police, confirmed that there was security force collusion in Mr Finucane's murder.
Mr Cumaraswamy draws parallels between the Finucane case and Mrs Nelson's murder in a loyalist car bomb attack in 1999.
"If you look at the sequence of events prior to the murder of Patrick Finucane, and the subsequent murder of Rosemary Nelson, you find some similarities, particularly with regard to the intensification of the threats prior to the murder," he says.
