Independent inquiry sought

The brother of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, who was murdered in 1989, has called for an independent international inquiry …

The brother of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, who was murdered in 1989, has called for an independent international inquiry into the murder of Lurgan solicitor Rosemary Nelson.

"If we want permanent peace in Northern Ireland, we must have an international independent inquiry. Rosemary Nelson and Pat Finucane deserve nothing less," Mr Martin Finucane said.

He was part of the Relatives for Justice group which made its submission to the commission on the future of policing, headed by Mr Chris Patten in Belfast yesterday.

Ms Nelson acted as an adviser to the group.

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"Like my brother, Rosemary Nelson represented people with no regard to their political or religious background. Her murder is proof that the attack on Pat Finucane was not a one-off attack on a lawyer," Mr Finucane added.

The Relatives for Justice group's proposals include a completely new policing service for Northern Ireland, with membership based on a percentage quota reflecting the make-up of the population in the North.

It also calls for the establishment of a truth commission to investigate the deaths of almost 400 people at the hands of the security forces and help relatives cope with the trauma.