The decision taken by Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service (PPS) that no police officers or soldiers are to be charged over the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, despite evidence of security force collusion, has been condemned by human rights groups and by the family of the murdered solicitor.
Speaking on behalf of the Finucane family, Mr Finucane's eldest son, Michael, said his family is "extremely angry and disappointed" at the decision.
The decision, announced today, means senior officers in the former Royal Ulster Constabulary and military intelligence will not stand trial for any alleged involvement in the Finucane murder.
Mr Finucane went on to say: "The announcement today by the DPP for Northern Ireland sinks like a heavy stone into the mire of collusion and cover-up, taking with it any hope that the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland will deliver for victims where the State's own agents and agencies are concerned."
Mr Finucane said his family would not be deterred by the decision but would "continue to press for a fully independent public inquiry into the murder and all of the surrounding circumstances."
"We look to Gordon Brown to deliver on the commitment made by the British Government to hold an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Pat Finucane"
"Only an independent public inquiry can satisfy the concerns of my family and the wider public about the existence of collusion between the British army, the RUC and security services in the murder of Pat Finucane and many others."
Amnesty International, said the decision "represents an indictment of the administration of criminal justice in Northern Ireland and the prosecutorial authorities, in particular."
The Human Rights Commission, which is seeking an "urgent meeting" with the PPS, said the decision "will further undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system."
"The accountability and transparency of the State in its ability to investigate itself is now in question," it added.
The 39-year-old lawyer was shot dead in February 1989 in front of his family when gunmen burst into his north Belfast home.
Just one of the killers was convicted, while a second was acquitted and later shot dead by former associates in the Ulster Defence Association.
Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said that a wide range of offences, including murder, had been considered against a number of individuals, but there was not enough evidence to bring charges.