Human rights groups have urged the British Prime Minister to ensure his government sticks to its commitments on public inquiries into three controversial murders in the North.
The groups expressed concern that the Northern Ireland Office may be planning to pull back on its pledge to keep the families of loyalist Billy Wright, Portadown Catholic Robert Hamill and solicitor Rosemary Nelson fully briefed on plans for the forthcoming inquiries into their murders.
The Belfast-based Committee on the Administration of Justice, Amnesty International and British-Irish Rights Watch also expressed alarm at the way the British government was handling the issue of an inquiry into the murder of Belfast solicitor
Pat Finucane.
In April, the British government announced inquiries into the three murders following recommendations by retired judge Peter Cory. Last week, the Northern Secretary also announced an inquiry into Mr Finucane's murder.
In a letter to Downing Street, the human rights groups wrote: 'If the inquiries are to effectively probe and lay to rest the allegations of state collusion in these three killings, it is vital that they command the confidence and secure the participation
of the families, not only for the sake of the families themselves but also in the wider public interest. To that end, it is crucial that the families are content with the terms of reference, the membership and the proposed conduct of the relevant inquiry.'
The Northern Ireland Office denied it was reneging on its commitments to give the families involved an opportunity to meet the chair of the relevant tribunal and discuss the terms of reference before arrangements for the proceedings are finalised.
In a statement, it said: 'When we met with the families, we said we had hoped to have more detail for them by the end of September. We have written to the families with an update on progress towards establishing the inquiries.
'Good progress has been made, but there is still a little way to go until the inquiries can begin work.'
It added: 'As soon as the names of the inquiry chairs and the terms of reference have been announced, the families will, of course, be able to communicate directly with the chairs and be able to discuss anything concerning the conduct or scope
of the inquiries including tribunal members, terms of reference or procedures.'
Mr Finucane was shot by the UFF at his North Belfast home in 1989.
Rosemary Nelson, also a solicitor, was killed in an under-car booby-trap bomb explosion in Lurgan in 1999.
The LVF leader, Billy Wright, was targeted and murdered inside the Maze Prison by jailed INLA members in 1997.
Robert Hamill, a Catholic, died in hospital after being attacked by a loyalist mob in his home town of Portadown in 1997.
Last October, Judge Cory delivered six reports to the London and Dublin administrations about a total of eight controversial killings.
The retired Canadian judge was appointed by the British and Irish Governments in 2001.
