The Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, has "ruled no options out" following a meeting with the UN special rapporteur, Mr Param Cumaraswamy, to discuss his report which alleges collusion between the security forces and paramilitaries in Northern Ireland.
Mr Cumaraswamy is calling on the British government to establish an independent judicial inquiry to investigate "prima facie" evidence of security-force collusion in the murder of the Belfast solicitor, Mr Patrick Finucane, in 1989. He was shot dead outside his home in Belfast in an attack which was later admitted by the Ulster Freedom Fighters.
Praising Mr Cumaraswamy's "important, though difficult" work, Dr Mowlam said the government would wait until the Director of Public Prosecutions had examined Mr Finucane's file and those relating to the murders of Ms Rosemary Nelson and Mr Robert Hamill, before commenting further on what action might be taken.
After the meeting at the Northern Ireland Office in London yesterday, Mr Cumaraswamy said he was confident "something positive" would emerge from his discussion with Dr Mowlam.