Northern Ireland solicitors have "overwhelmingly" overturned a decision of its ruling council by passing a motion calling for an independent judicial inquiry into the murder of the Belfast solicitor, Mr Pat Finucane. It narrowly passed a motion calling for an independent inquiry into the murder of the Lurgan solicitor, Ms Rosemary Nelson.
The Law Society of Northern Ireland, at a meeting in Belfast yesterday evening, also effectively withdrew a potentially divisive motion expressing no confidence in its 30-member ruling council and calling for its resignation.
Almost 700 of the North's 1,700 solicitors gathered in the Europa Hotel to discuss an issue some solicitors feared could split the Law Society along religious and political lines. This was the latest manifestation of the continuing controversy and divisions in political, security and legal circles caused by Mr Finucane's murder.
The council's initial decision to adopt a "neutral" position on Mr Finucane's murder 10 years ago and not to call for an independent inquiry prompted a group of over 20 solicitors to seek the council's resignation and demand inquiries into the killing of Mr Finucane and Ms Nelson.
Ms Catherine Dixon, president of the Law Society Council, welcomed the outcome of the meeting. She said it was conducted in a "constructive, sober and positive" manner and she believed the council would not be divided by the controversy.
Ms Dixon defended the council's initial neutral stance by stating that was the council's position on such issues for the past 30 years. It was, however, the entitlement of the society to overrule that view. The large attendance at yesterday's meeting reflected the feeling that these were "very important, sensitive issues".
Ms Dixon said the Finucane inquiry motion was carried overwhelmingly. She added that there was a general consensus to defer the Nelson inquiry motion until the outcome of the police investigation was established, but that procedurally the motion had to be taken.
The motion was carried 275 votes to 264.
An amendment proposing there should only be an independent inquiry into Mr Finucane's death if the new inquiry by the Deputy Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, Mr John Stevens, established that there was RUC collusion in his murder effectively fell, said Ms Dixon.
Procedurally the motion calling for the resignation of the council could not be withdrawn. Accordingly a vote was taken and the motion was virtually unanimously defeated, she added. But there was not total unanimity on the issues. According to one solicitor one member of the council resigned over the controversy.
A Belfast solicitor, Mr Barra McGrory, said the lesson to be learned from the controversy was that the council, through its neutral stance, was out of step with the majority feeling within the profession.
