The curious tale of the TD, the spooks and the family of the murdered human rights lawyer. (Wth a bit of Brexit and Priti Patel thrown in)

1. In the last few days, the family of #PatFinucane returned to the courts in their quest for justice and truth https://twitter.com/johnfinucane/status/1314509161695240193?s=19

2. Also this weekend, a Northern Ireland newspaper did a #PritiPatel on @johnfinucane, who like his murdered father is a solicitor. John Finucane is also the recently elected Sinn Fein MP for North Belfast, defeating the DUP's Nigel Dodds last year.

3. The newspaper accused John Finucane of representing someone regarded as the head of a very nasty criminal gang. Shock horror, solicitor represents alleged criminal. Lawyers do it every day. So why *this* particular lawyer at this particular time?

4. The story appears at the same time as #PritiPatel and the Home Office spooks are demonising lawyers they don’t like because of who they represent. A tactic the spooks perfected, of course, on this particular lawyer’s father and which is bearing fruit once more.

5. This particular lawyer saw his father murdered in front of him aged 9, because of who his father represented and after Douglas Hogg, a government minister had pointed the finger at him. We now know that was done because Hogg had been briefed by the RUC (and the spooks.)

6. So far, so grim. Can’t be a coincidence, of course, that this happens on the same weekend as the Finucanes renew their case against the British government and at a time when attacks on lawyers are being ratcheted up by the Brexiteers.

7. Nor is it a coincidence that it happens the day before the GB government tells a court that it will announce its decision on the long demanded public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/northern-secretary-to-decide-on-public-inquiry-into-pat-finucane-s-murder-1.4378738

8. So what on earth, do you think, would possess an *Irish* government TD and colleague of @LeoVaradkar and @simoncoveney to retweet the newspaper story and, worse, go further on a Twitter rant, insinuating that this particular lawyer is close to a criminal gang?

9. Where would that TD get such a notion? Could it possibly be the exact same place that Hogg got his? https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/department-of-justice-must-address-drew-harris-s-mi5-role-1.3612844

9. Now, either @nealerichmond is too clueless to realise he’s doing the spooks’ job for them and is just going after @johnfinucane because he is a political opponent. Or maybe it's because he was briefed, just like Hogg was briefed. Perhaps the Garda Commissioner might know?

10. In the meantime, here’s what Seamus Mallon told Hogg immediately after he pointed the finger at John Finucane’s father. He’d say exactly the same thing today because unlike Neale Richmond, Mallon understood the importance of the #ruleoflaw.