The family of murdered Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane launched a new court action against the British government yesterday to force it to set up a public inquiry immediately into the killing.
The move came after the High Court in Belfast agreed on Monday to a government application for a three-week adjournment of an action by the Finucane family seeking to compel the Northern Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, to publish reports into the killing and three others that he has been sitting on for over four months.
The reports, drawn up by Judge Peter Cory, a retired Canadian Supreme Court judge, examined allegations of security force collusion in the murders.
The Irish Government was also given reports on the two killings of two senior RUC officers and a high court judge and his wife - amid allegations of collusion with the IRA by gardaí.
Those reports were published in December and a public inquiry ordered into the murders of the two policemen - on their way back across the Border from a meeting with Garda officers in Dundalk.
In the absence of publication of the reports by the British government the families of those killed have been fighting a legal battle to get the reports published.
Judge Cory has told the families privately that he recommended public inquiries in each case.
It was revealed in court on Monday that the ministry of defence, chief constable and Northern DPP have seen the reports while the families have not.
The Finucane family highlight that after a round of political talks at Weston Park in 2001, Mr Tony Blair gave a commitment to hold a public inquiry if Judge Cory recommended one.
Despite what the judge has recommended, the government had done "absolutely nothing", said the Finucanes.
Mr Peter Madden, of Madden & Finucane, the family solicitors, said: "The British government continues to delay and obstruct the establishment of the inquiry.
"The establishment of the inquiry does not depend upon the publication of the Cory report.
"These new proceedings relate to the immediate establishment of the inquiry despite the non-publication of the Cory report.
"No matter how many obstructions or delays, the Finucane family is determined to vindicate their legal rights and pursue all legal remedies to achieve their objective."
To that end, papers were lodged in the Northern Ireland High Court yesterday seeking leave to apply for a judicial review of the government's failure to hold a public inquiry into the death of the prominent Catholic solicitor who was shot dead by the Ulster Freedom Fighters in front of his family in his north Belfast home 15 years ago.