The British government has announced plans to conduct a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane, a lawyer who was killed in 1989 in Northern Ireland. Finucane, known for representing Irish Republican Army suspects, was assassinated in his Belfast home by the Ulster Defense Association, a prohibited Protestant militia. His death is a significant event from Northern Ireland’s period of conflict, known as the Troubles, which resulted in over 3,500 casualties.

Numerous investigations have indicated potential collusion between U.K. security forces and Loyalist paramilitaries in Finucane’s killing. His widow and children have been advocating for an independent public inquiry for years to uncover the full extent of security force involvement. Despite previous refusals by British administrations to launch an inquiry, the current Labour Party government has committed to appoint a chair for the investigation promptly.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn emphasized the long-overdue nature of the inquiry, stating that the government’s promise to investigate Finucane’s death has not been met even after two decades. John Finucane, the victim’s son and a Sinn Fein lawmaker, expressed approval of the inquiry, highlighting the pursuit of truth after years of alleged cover-ups.

The anticipated findings of the inquiry may present challenges for the U.K. government, as past inquiries have revealed instances of British army and police involvement with Northern Ireland paramilitary groups, including criminal activities carried out by state-recruited individuals. Despite the peace brought by the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, the emotional scars persist for those affected by the actions of Irish republican and British loyalist groups, as well as U.K. forces in Northern Ireland.