Peter Robinson: To hold an inquiry for one murder, that of Pat Finucane, while ignoring thousands of others would be an outrage

So many people have been murdered that we often forget the details of what happened in a particular case.

The solicitor was enjoying his Sunday lunch when two gunmen smashed their way into his home and gunned him down in front of his wife and their three children. Not content with shooting him twice and watching him slump to the floor they fired a further twelve bullets into his head.

The murder was brutal, cruel and pitiless and is not justified in the smallest degree because he was a member of a republican family or because of those he acted for as a solicitor.

Those close to him will have felt the same unbearable pain and are still gripped by the sad loss that thousands of others have experienced as a result of the terrorist campaign. They are entitled to rely on the sympathy and compassion of the whole community.

Too many families, particularly those whose loved ones were the victims of IRA murder gangs, have seen no justice.

Nobody charged by the police. Nobody brought before the courts. Nobody convicted of the killing. Nobody forced to serve a prison sentence.

In the Finucane case Ken Barrett was convicted and sentenced for the murder. There are multitudes of families whose greatest wish would be that they too might see the same level of justice, however imperfect, that the Finucane family have seen.

There are scores of cases that also deserve no less attention than that given to this case.

The argument advanced for a further inquiry is that there was collusion with state agents in the murder. Of course, information coming from state actors has been a part of many murders in Northern Ireland. The IRA and other terrorist groups had informants in many agencies of the state. Because of allegations of collusion in the Finucane killing the government instituted investigations over and beyond the police investigation that led to the criminal convictions.

In spite of the repeated referencing of Article 2 of the European Convention an allegation of collusion does not of itself oblige and justify holding a public inquiry nor is it the only reason to sponsor one.

The Cabinet Office guidance for establishing public inquiries provides this advice – “An inquiry may be set up for one, or more, reasons. These include: to establish the cause of a major disaster, accident or other event involving significant damage or loss of life; to make recommendations as to how to learn lessons from such an event; to investigate serious allegations of general public concern which require thorough and impartial investigation, and for which ordinary civil or criminal processes may not be adequate or appropriate.”

Well, there you have it!

How many topics could be offered that fall within the purview of those terms? Certainly, many other terrorist attacks carried out by republicans would fall neatly into the scope of that definition. Indeed, the participation of those who hold and have held high office in government and who were involved at a senior decision making, planning or operational level in terrorism against the community they now govern must also qualify.

The Cabinet Office guidance also issues a cautionary note to ministers by warning them that before they decide whether to hold a public inquiry, they need to be very clear that the inquiry is affordable within the department’s existing provisions and that the benefits are likely to outweigh the cost.

So, spending money on an inquiry in Northern Ireland reduces the funds available for other local schemes.

Go on, put up your hands if you think this is the best use of public funds, at this or any other time.

What is clear and obvious to any competent secretary of state with responsibility in Northern Ireland is that in setting up a public inquiry he must not be partisan or one-sided.

To hold an inquiry for one murder while ignoring thousands of others would be an outrage. To establish an inquiry for alleged collusion and ignore other areas of equal or greater public concern would be unconscionable.

To give greater weight to an orchestrated campaign than the muted sobs of a grieving family who have no army of well-funded campaigners to champion their cause would be unjust and prejudicial.

To comply with a republican agenda demand of highlighting a case where they have donned the cloak of victimhood while ignoring the bloody and barbaric litany of death and destruction they inflicted on us all would be reprehensible and immoral.

The latter point is at the heart of the wider campaign — accentuate the few and cause them to overshadow the many. It is part and parcel of reshaping the narrative of the recent conflict.

The aim is to airbrush or at least cause IRA atrocities to fade while demonising the state, the security forces, unionists and indeed anyone other than themselves.

They attempt to gentrify republicanism in the hope they can retrospectively edit history by superimposing their fake storyline.

The secretary of state was right not to establish an inquiry into this one case, but he would be wrong to leave it for a later decision unless he contemplates a more comprehensive approach.

Better by far we entomb the notion of any further costly and divisive public inquiries into troubles related killings and put in place an agreed victim-centred framework for investigations, truth telling and discovery that is open to all.

• Peter Robinson, a former first minister and DUP leader, writes a bi weekly column for the News Letter on alternate Fridays

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