§ 88. Mr. S. Silvermanasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies at what time and on what date one Dankwa was hanged at Accra; at what time each of the other two men were hanged; and at what time and in what circumstances further executions were postponed.
Mr. Creech JonesDankwa was hanged at 2 p.m. Gold Coast time on 24th March and the other two men at 3.30 p.m. the same day. Written notice of intention to appeal was received by the director of prisons at 3.40 p.m. and in consequence of this the Governor gave orders to postpone the other two executions. I propose to make a further statement regarding this case shortly.
§ 89. Mr. S. Silvermanasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is the practice in the Gold Coast to suspend the execution of sentences when it is known that application is intended to be made to the Privy Council for leave to appeal.
Mr. Creech JonesIt has been the normal practice in the Gold Coast for the Governor to postpone the execution of a sentence of death if he receives formal notice of an intention to petition the Privy Council for special leave to appeal. This is one of the points, however, with which the statement I propose to make shortly will deal.
§ 90. Mr. S. Silvermanasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies at what time and on what date he was made aware that application was intended to be made to the Privy Council for leave to appeal against refusal of writs of habeas corpus on one Dankwa, a native of the Gold Coast; at what time and an what date the applications for such writs were made; and whether verbal intimation was at once given of intention to appeal to the Privy Council.
Mr. Creech JonesA letter from the convicted men's lawyer in London was delivered to my legal adviser at 2 p.m. (1 p.m. Gold Coast time) on 24th March, giving him notice that unless the Gold Coast court discharged the men on their application for writs ofhabeas corpus application would be made to the Privy Council for leave to appeal. The London lawyer had, I understand, already cabled 321W instructions to the Gold Coast lawyer, and he was informed by my legal adviser later in the afternoon that I would not be communicating with the Governor. The applications for habeas corpus were rejected by the Gold Coast court at 1 p.m. (Gold Coast time) on the same day. I understand that counsel for the condemned men stated in court, on rejection of the habeas corpus application, that they would appeal to the Privy Council, but no notice was given to the Governor, nor was application made to him for postponement of the executions until after the third sentence had been carried out.