The retired Canadian judge who investigated allegations of British involvement in paramilitary killings in the North has called on the British government to press ahead with a public inquiry into the murder of Belfast solicitor Mr Pat Finucane.
Judge Peter Cory told RTÉ radio a public inquiry into Mr Finucane's murder should be held without delay and could be facilitated in conjunction with ongoing court proceedings.
The British government last week announced that public inquiries would be established into the murders of Rosemary Nelson, Robert Hamill and Billy Wright.
But the Secretary of State for the North, Mr Paul Murphy, said an inquiry into Mr Finucane's murder was pending the outcome of criminal proceedings against a loyalist, Mr Ken Barrett, who was currently in custody.
Speaking on RTÉ this morning, Judge Cory said that the Irish and British governments had agreed that if an independent judge recommended the holding of a public inquiry then there would be such an inquiry.
There have been numerous calls on the British to hold a public inquiry into the murder of Mr Finucane. The US State Department intensified pressure after an official yesterday said Washington was concerned about plans to delay an inquiry into Mr Finucane's murder.
Mr Alex Attwood of the SDLP said Judge Cory was "absolutely right". "There is no justification for delaying a Finucane inquiry any longer," he said.
"Tony Blair has no hiding place from those who are calling for a Finucane inquiry now. The failure to be up-front will only add to any doubts that the [British] government intends to honour its Weston Park commitments," he added.
Mr Gerry Kelly of Sinn Féin said today the "double standards and contradictions in the position of the British government are obvious".
"They are deliberately attempting to conceal the truth around the policy of collusion and the murder of citizens. Judge Cory's remarks today increase the pressure on the British government to grasp the reality and end the policy of concealment and proceed with the inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane," he said.
