North Belfast MP John Finucane Demands Apology from MP David Davis

North Belfast MP John Finucane has issued a powerful open letter to Conservative MP David Davis, urging him to formally apologise after making reference to "IRA lawyers" during a House of Commons debate. The remarks from the MP for Goole and Pocklington occurred during discussions on amendments to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill and have sparked widespread criticism.

The Law Society of Northern Ireland has also pressed Mr Davis to retract his statement, noting the dangerous resonance with comments made in 1989 by Junior Minister Douglas Hogg just weeks before the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane.

In his open letter, John Finucane recalled crossing paths with Mr Davis in a Belfast courtroom in 2019, where Davis had attended in support of a journalist who had uncovered collusion in the Loughinisland massacre. Finucane highlighted how Davis had spoken passionately on that occasion about justice and the rule of law, contrasting those sentiments with his recent remarks in Westminster.

Drawing on his family's painful history, Finucane recounted being just eight years old when he witnessed his father being shot dead in their family home by loyalists acting in collusion with British state forces. He shared how those events inspired him to become a solicitor himself, dedicated to upholding the fundamental right of every citizen to legal representation and holding state authorities to account.

Finucane questioned whether legal professionals in England would ever be targeted with similar language, defending the vital role of lawyers who represent families navigating the legacy of conflict, collusion, and loss. Concluding his letter, he called on Mr Davis to retract his words and deliver an apology to his family, the family of murdered solicitor Rosemary Nelson, and all legal professionals working on behalf of victims.