The public inquiry into the death of lawyer Pat Finucane must be credible, his son John told a hearing in Washington DC.

Mr Finucane, 39, was shot dead at his family home in north Belfast by the Ulster Defense Association in an attack revealed by a series of investigations to involve collusion with the state.

In 2012, then-Prime Minister David Cameron issued a public apology to the Finucane family, saying: “I am deeply sorry.”

The British government announced earlier this year that a public inquiry would be held into the matter.

On Tuesday, members of the Finucane family, including Mr. Finucane’s widow Geraldine, testified before the Tom Lantos Commission on Human Rights, an arm of the United States House of Representatives.

North Belfast MP John Finucane said his family’s priority was to ensure the investigation was “credible” and “capable of earning trust”.

He said they were “not further along” in terms of the details of the investigation, but added that they are not criticizing it, adding: “We want to see that everyone is committed to doing this correctly, rather than quickly. »

“Our focus, and that of those who supported our call for an inquiry, must now be to ensure that this process is credible, transparent and capable of winning the trust and approval of those who recognized the need for it “, he said.

“Last week my mother and I were asked what we expected from an inquest, and indeed it is something we are all thinking about in depth, but some points are obvious.

“We want an inquiry to be independent of government and free to make its own decisions and recommendations.

“We believe that this inquiry should be conducted by an independent judicial committee, supplemented by key appointments to an inquiry, such as the Inquiry Counsel, Inquiry Counsel and Inquiry Secretary, who are also independent and determined to guarantee the terms of the investigation. reference are implemented and monitored fairly and judiciously.

“The terms of reference I just mentioned are also essential.

“We look forward to working with the UK Government and the inquiry itself on these matters, as they will be crucial in determining from the outset the ability of the inquiry to examine all the circumstances leading up to and following the murder of my father. »

Mr Finucane also urged the United States to support his family.

“As with all stages of our campaign, this is a battle we know we will not face alone. American involvement and stewardship of our peace process has proven to be both crucial and necessary, and this also applies when we examine how we deal with our past, and in particular the case of Pat Finucane,” he said. he declared.

“Now more than ever, we need you and your colleagues to be that critical friend to the UK government, making it clear to them not to waste or compromise this opportunity to finally examine what they have described in their own words as “one of the darkest chapters in their history”. military history.

Rep. Chris Smith, co-chair of the Tom Lantos Commission on Human Rights, praised the Finucane family as being “absolutely tenacious in their arduous journey toward this investigation.”

“For 35 years, the Finucane family has consistently and honorably led an independent public inquiry into state-sponsored collusion in this murder,” he said.