Official title: Foreword
What it covers
The foreword is a brief opening note from Sir Desmond de Silva. It introduces the review he was asked to carry out by the government in October 2011, the scale of the material he examined, and the purpose of the report: to give the public as full an account as possible of the state's involvement in the murder of Pat Finucane.
Why it matters
The foreword is where the reviewer frames the task. Two points carry through the rest of the report. First, it is written as a public account rather than a judgment on anyone's civil or criminal liability. Second, it relies heavily on documents, many of which are reproduced in Volume II so that readers can check them.
Readers new to the report usually find the executive summary the best next step, followed by chapter 1, which explains the terms of reference and method in detail.