A court hearing set for this month will consider the constitutionality of judicial hanging and ultimately determine the fate of 22 inmates now on death row.
Attorney-General Doodnauth Singh SC told Stabroek News that the issue is now before the High Court as a result of a challenge to the executions by hanging of Ravindra Deo, Oral Hendricks and Lawrence Chan. He said until the question is settled any prisoner to whom the death warrant is read could approach the court on the same ground as Deo and company. Sources say this is why no death warrants have been read recently.
Most of the prisoners have been on death row for about six years, with one Noel Thomas, being there for more than twelve. The prisoners are housed in a separate cellblock, able to accommodate thirty persons. Each inmate is housed in a separate cell and is isolated from the general prisoner community while being under the strictest security regime in place at the Camp Street jail.
About three years ago in a rare Sunday afternoon hearing Justice BS Roy granted Deo, Hendricks and Chan an ex parte injunction on an application by their counsel Rex McKay SC and Nigel Hughes barring their execution the following morning.
Another of the twenty-two, Thomas has a case yet to be heard in which he is challenging the constitutionality of the appointment of three judges to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that they were appointed contrary to the advice the Judicial Service Commission tendered to the President.
Thomas and the late Abdool Yaseen were convicted for the murder of Yaseen’s brother.
The two successfully delayed their executions as a result of various appeals. Yaseen died in prison earlier this year.
The last judicial hanging took place in 1997 when Heeralall and Noel Adams were executed.