Supreme Court in London unanimously backed the appeal by the family of lawyer Pat Finucane against the refusal of the British government to carry out a proper inquiry into his 1989 murder by state agents.

The family has won a binding declaration that a previous review had not been an effective investigation into his death. The court said it would not order the British government to hold a public inquiry, thus the campaign face the possibility of further delay.

The ruling has entirely vindicated the long justice campaign by the Finucane family and their rejection of the 2012 de Silva review.

Curiously though, the judgement was willfully misinterpreted and spun in the mainstream media as a setback for the family.

Speaking outside the Supreme Court, Mr Finucane's widow, Geraldine, said: "This is a historic moment. I stand before you today outside the United Kingdom Supreme Court with one simple message: we won."

Geraldine Finucane added: "The British government now knows that it cannot conceal the truth any longer. They have now been told this by the highest court in the land. It is time for the murder of Pat Finucane to be properly and publicly investigated in a public inquiry. Nothing less will suffice."

Lawyer Pt Finucane was killed in February 1989 by loyalists in an attack which Britain admitted seven years ago involved collusion by the state. The

39-year-old was shot 14 times while enjoying Sunday lunch at home with his family.

In 2011, former British Prime Minister David Cameron offered up the de

Silva review, named after UN prosecutor Desmond de Silva who found "shocking" levels of state collusion involving the British Army, police and MI5, yet ruled out an "overarching state conspiracy"; and found no serving officers to be culpable.

Speaking on radio, Mr Finucane's son John said the judgment was a "great result" for the family. which had blown the de Silva review "out of the water. It was very emotional for all of us. It is an enormous relief for my mother, it has given all of us a boost."