47 Years of Impactful Scholarship

Volume 44, Issue 1

Introduction: Making Hope and History Rhyme: The Cory Inquiry and Transitional Justice in Northern Ireland

This Essay serves as an introduction for the following Essay. In the Essay that follows, fellow Canadian Justice Rene Pomerance offers a fresh perspective on why Justice Cory’s effort was a high point, yet one that remains incomplete, in Northern Ireland’s ongoing quest for transitional justice. Her effort fittingly pays tribute to Justice Cory’s unwavering commitment to his charge, qualities she witnessed firsthand as his then assistant. Importantly, it also provides new and disturbing information about British government attempts to impede his work, especially with regard to the murder of Patrick Finucane. Justice Pomerance’s contribution also sheds light on why Justice Cory’s recommendations have yet to be fully implemented. This essay will attempt to place Justice Pomerance’s account in context. It will do so by concentrating only on the especially sensitive Finucane case, yet from several broader perspectives.

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Recommended Citation: Martin S. Flaherty, Introduction: Making Hope and History Rhyme: The Cory Inquiry and Transitional Justice in Northern Ireland, 44 Fordham Int'l L.J. 233 (2020).