The Patrick Finucane Inquiry: Max Mills appointed as Junior Counsel to the Inquiry

Max Mills has been appointed as Junior Counsel to the Patrick Finucane Inquiry. He is part of a five-counsel team, led by Matthew Hill of 1 Crown Office Row. The Inquiry is chaired by former Lord Justice of Appeal, Sir Gary Hickinbottom.

On 12 February 1989, Patrick Finucane, a prominent Belfast solicitor, was murdered in his home as he sat down for dinner with his wife and three young children. The attack was carried out by members of a loyalist paramilitary group, in what remains one of the most notorious murders of the Troubles.

Over the last 37 years, the case has been the subject of an inquest, criminal prosecutions and three major investigations. In 2019, the Supreme Court found that these investigations had failed to discharge the state’s duty under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights to investigate Mr Finucane’s murder. Significantly, those investigations had identified evidence of the role of state agents in the murder. 

The case lies at the intersection of Max’s specialisms in serious crime, national security and government litigation.