* Blogmanac | European ruling on Finucane
Amnesty International, British Irish Rights watch, and the Committee on the Administration of Justice yesterday welcomed the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Patrick Finucane.

[Patrick Finucane, a prominent criminal defence and civil rights lawyer, was shot dead in February 1989 in front of his wife and his three children at their home in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Soon after the killing, claims of official collusion began to emerge - N]

The European Court of Human Rights has found that Patrick Finucane's right to life, which is protected under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, had been violated in a number of ways.

It concluded, "the Court finds that the proceedings for investigating the death of Patrick Finucane failed to provide a prompt and effective investigation into the allegations of collusion by security personnel. There has consequently been a failure to comply with the procedural obligation imposed by Article 2 of the Convention and there has been, in this respect, a violation of that provision."

The human rights groups call on the [British] government to take immediate action to give effect to the judgment of the Court.

A spokesperson for the three groups said, "this judgment confirms that there has been no effective investigation of the collusion in this murder. The Finucane family have been waiting fourteen years for justice. It is time the government stopped aiding and abetting those who have engaged in collusion and cover-ups, and allowed the full truth to be told about this case by establishing a public inquiry."

Further information from Amnesty on the United Kingdom