Sir Gary Hickinbottom

Today’s announcement from Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn is a major step forward for the inquiry announced last September.

The inquiry will be established under the Inquiries Act 2005, with full powers, including the power to compel the production of documents and to summon witnesses to give evidence on oath.

Mr Finucane, who co-founded Madden & Finucane Solicitors, was murdered in his home in north Belfast on 12 February 1989 by loyalist paramilitaries who acted in collusion with UK security forces.

Sir Gary is the current president of the Welsh Tribunals. He is a solicitor and a retired Court of Appeal judge who undertook the statutory inquiry into corruption and governance in the British Virgin Islands.

He will be assisted by Baroness Nuala O’Loan and Francesca Del Mese, who have been appointed as assessors to the inquiry and will provide advice to the chair on their relevant expertise.

Mr Benn said: “The murder of Mr Finucane was a barbarous and heinous crime and one which continues to highlight the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. 

“I commend and support the tireless campaign of Mrs Finucane and her family in seeking answers to the brutal murder of their loved one and I am confident that this inquiry will provide answers to the family who have suffered so terribly.

“I am delighted that Sir Gary Hickinbottom has accepted this important role as chair of the Patrick Finucane inquiry and that Baroness O’Loan and Francesca Del Mese have accepted the important roles of assessors to the inquiry.

“I am confident that, together, their valuable knowledge, experience and professionalism will be of great benefit to the work of the Inquiry.”

Sir Gary said: “I am privileged to take on responsibility for leading this public inquiry into the important issues raised by the circumstances surrounding the murder of Patrick Finucane, something I will do not only in accordance with my statutory duties but as fairly, openly and transparently as I can.

“At the heart of this case lies a family who lost their husband and father in horrific circumstances, and I look forward to meeting the Finucane family in Belfast as soon as possible.”

Baroness O’Loan said: “I look forward to taking up this role, having been appointed by the Secretary of State.

“The Finucane family has always been concerned that the full story of what happened should be told, and this independent inquiry will provide the opportunity to do so.

“There remain unanswered questions, and the public interest requires that we seek as best we can to get the answers to those questions.”

Ms Del Mese said: “I am honoured to be appointed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland as an assessor for the long-awaited independent inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane, a human rights lawyer who was brutally killed in his own home in front of his family.

“I will do my utmost to assist the inquiry in seeking transparency and pursuing much-needed answers, both for the Finucane family, and in the hope it will lead to a more secure future for the communities of Northern Ireland.”

In line with the Inquiries Act 2005, the secretary of state will now undertake a consultation exercise with the chair on the proposed terms of reference for the inquiry, which will be agreed and published in due course.