Northern Ireland

Timeline of Pat Finucane murder probe

 Pat Finucane was shot dead at his home in 1989.
 Pat Finucane was shot dead at his home in 1989.

12 February 1989 - Pat Finucane shot dead at his home in north Belfast by UFF

April 1998 - British government rejects a call by the United Nations for an independent inquiry

April 1999 - Sir John Stevens, then deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, appointed to carry out an investigation into the lawyer's murder

June 1999 - Former UDA quartermaster William Stobie is charged with the murder of Mr Finucane

2000 - Amnesty International calls for public inquiry 

2001 - Stobie case collapses and two months later he is shot dead by loyalists

2001 - Retired Canadian Judge Peter Cory appointed to investigate allegations of collusion in the Finucane murder

April 2003 - Stevens Report says rogue elements within the police and army helped loyalist paramilitaries to murder Catholics in the late 1980s

The Finucane family reiterates its call for a full, independent, public inquiry

Read more:'We won' says Pat Finucane's family as Supreme Court criticises murder investigation

May 2003 - Loyalist Ken Barrett charged with Finucane murder 

April 2004 - Cory Report concludes that military and police intelligence knew of the murder plot but failed to intervene. Judge Cory recommends a public inquiry. The government refuses until the criminal proceedings against Barrett are completed

September 2004- Ken Barrett sentenced to 22 years' imprisonment and Northern Ireland Office announces an inquiry and plans to introduce legislation

2005 - The Inquiries Act 2005 introduced and led to the creation of Hamill, Nelson and Wright inquiries. However the Finucane family opposed the new law, fearing it would enable the government to interfere with the independence of any future inquiry 

Autumn 2006 - Plans to set up an inquiry into the murder of Mr Finucane are halted by the then Secretary of State Peter Hain

June 2007 -The Public Prosecution Service says insufficient evidence to charge police or soldiers in connection with the Finucane murder

November 2010 - Then the Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, says he will decide in the new year whether there should be a public inquiry into the murder

May 2011 - The Finucane family say they expect to hear soon that the government will hold a full inquiry

October 2011 -The British government rules out an inquiry into Mr Finucane's murder but puts forward a proposal for a leading QC, Sir Desmond de Silva, to review the case

Taoiseach Enda Kenny says he will push for a public inquiry, after meeting Pat Finucane's widow

January 2012 -The Finucane family win the right to a judicial review over the government's refusal to hold a public inquiry

 Sir Desmond de Silva with his report into the murder
 Sir Desmond de Silva with his report into the murder
 Sir Desmond de Silva with his report into the murder
 Sir Desmond de Silva with his report into the murder

December 2012 -Sir Desmond de Silva's review confirms that agents of the state were involved in the loyalist murder of Pat Finucane but said there was "no overarching state conspiracy". Finucane family brand it a "sham" and a "whitewash"

June 2015 - Finucane family lose a judicial review of the prime minister's decision to rule out a public inquiry

February 2017 - The Court of Appeal in Belfast dismisses an appeal against the decision not to hold a public inquiry

June 2018 - Case for a public inquiry goes before the Supreme Court 

February 2019 - Supreme Court does not recommend a public inquiry