The family of murdered Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane today held its first-ever meeting with Democratic Unionist Party leader the Rev Ian Paisley.
They hope to get his help in their campaign to force the British government to drop plans to hold a public inquiry into Mr Finucane's murder under the controversial Inquiries Act, which was rushed through Parliament last year.
Ian Paisley
The Finucane family and many human rights campaigners believe the Act gives the British government powers to withhold sensitive information and to censor a final inquiry report before publication.
"We had a very good meeting with Dr Paisley," Mr Finucane's widow, Geraldine, said after the hour-long meeting at Stormont. "It was very open and he made it very clear that he was there to hear what we had to say.
"Indeed we discovered by the end of the meeting that we had a lot in common."
Mrs Finucane declined to say whether the DUP leader was ready to back her against the British government. Dr Paisley said he would be making no comment at the moment.
The meeting took place the day after the 17th anniversary of the murder of Mr Finucane (39), who was shot dead in front of his family by loyalist gunmen in his north Belfast home.
A public inquiry into the murder, and several others where security force collusion is suspected, was recommended in 2004 by Canadian judge Peter Cory.
Judge Cory investigated the collusion allegations relating to the Finucane murder and that of Portadown man Robert Hamill, Co Armagh solicitor Rosemary Nelson and LVF leader Billy Wright.
An interim police report by former Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir John Stevens found the security forces had colluded in Mr Finucane's murder.
Mrs Finucane and sons Michael and John have told the British government they will not co-operate with the inquiry - for which they have long campaigned - if it is set up under the terms of the Inquiries Act.
PA