Madden & Finucane
Ranked
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Madden & Finucane
present
the Madden & Finucane
and Pat Finucane
Aisling Awards
The Aisling Bursaries, launched in March 2000, are
an educational initiative between Belfast Media Group and West Belfast
Partnership. The Aisling Bursaries are designed to help students defray their
education and training costs.
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Breaking News on the Pat
Finucane case |
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Finucanes'
bid to question PM blocked
24th April 2012
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Potential cross-examination of David Cameron
about the refusal to order a public inquiry into the murder of Belfast solicitor
Pat Finucane is being thwarted, the High Court has heard.
An affidavit from the Prime Minister's
private secretary blocks any chance of questioning him about claims he told the
lawyer's widow Geraldine that others around Downing Street would not allow a
full independent probe, a judge was told.
Lawyers for Mrs Finucane are to seek an
order striking out the "hearsay" statement that Mr Cameron denies making the
comments.
It was also alleged that a sham consultation
process was undertaken when the decision not to hold an inquiry had been
pre-determined.
With papers in the case now to be served on
the Irish Government, next month's scheduled hearing of the challenge has been
put back.
Mr Finucane was gunned down at his north
Belfast home by the Loyalists in 1989.
His family have campaigned for a full
independent inquiry and believed they were set to achieve that when they went to
Downing Street to meet the Prime Minister last October.
Instead, they were shocked to be told that a
review, conducted by a senior lawyer, rather than an inquiry would take place.
In an affidavit filed as part of their legal
challenge, Mrs Finucane claimed the family was treated "cruelly".
According to her, the only explanation for
the apparent change of mind was the intervention of a person or persons unknown.
She alleged: "This view was supported by a
comment made by the Prime Minister during the meeting when he said 'It is true
that the previous administration could not deliver a public inquiry and neither
can we.
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"There are people in buildings all around
here who won't let it happen'."
It was revealed on Tuesday, however, that a
senior official has averred that Mr Cameron instructed him that he did not use
the words alleged. Barry Macdonald QC, for the Finucanes, told the court his
clients have a record of the meeting but no minutes have been made available
from the British Government.
Because the affidavit was not by the Prime
Minister himself, he cannot be questioned on its contents.
Mr Macdonald said: "We essentially will be
suggesting this hearsay averment is a device to avoid the possibility of the
Prime Minister being subjected to cross-examination on that issue."
Mrs Finucane was in court as her barrister
further contended that the decision not to hold a public inquiry was taken
months before the October meeting.
"It's going to be our suggestion that this
consultation process was essentially a sham and the decision had been
pre-determined."
Paul McLaughlin, for the British Government,
confirmed he would need to take instructions on the points raised.
The case, which was due to be heard in May,
was listed for a further review in June. Meanwhile, Sir Desmond De Silva's
review of the killing is continuing as he plans to report back by the end of the
year.
Northern Ireland Secretary of State Owen
Paterson has said he believes that the De Silva analysis is the best mechanism
available to get to the truth of what happened in the case.
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Pat
Finucane Inquiry Campaign –
Up-to-date info on the campaign for the Pat
Finucane Inquiry
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Latest on the Bloody Sunday case |
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Press Release from Madden
& Finucane Solicitors regarding Bloody Sunday
22nd September 2011
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Madden
& Finucance represent the families of Jackie Duddy, Michael Kelly,
Hugh Gilmour, Michael McDaid, John Young, Kevin McElhinney, Willie
McKinney, Gerard McKinney, Gerald Donaghey and Patrick Doherty who were
shot dead on Bloody Sunday. We also represent some members of the family
of Barney McGuigan, who was also shot dead.
We
also represent Damien Donaghey, Alana Burke, Patrick McDaid, Joe Friel,
Joe Mahon and Michael Quinn who were wounded on Bloody Sunday, and we
also represent the families of John Johnston, Margaret Deery, Patrick
O’Donnell, Patrick Campbell, Daniel McGowan and Pius McCarron who were
shot and injured on that day, but who have since died.
Peter
Madden, of Madden & Finucane Solicitors said as follows:
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"In
1974 ex gratia payments of compensation were made to the victims of
Bloody Sunday. The amounts paid were based on the flawed conclusions of
Lord Widgery and were derisory and wholly inappropriate in amount. The
victims will not, therefore, be compensated “twice” as has been
claimed by some commentators.
"There
is nothing unusual about the payment of proper compensation in a case
like this. Indeed, recently the British Government paid compensation to
the family of Baha Mousa and nine other Iraqi men who were subjected to
horrific assaults by soldiers from the 1 Queens Lancashire Regiment in
Basra in 2003. These assaults resulted in the death of Baha Mousa, a 26
year old father of two young children. This payment followed the
conclusions of the report by Sir William Gage which found that the
treatment of the men was unjustified."
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