Privy Council reserves judgement in ‘Grenada 13’ case

LONDON, Dec 13 - The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council Wednesday reserved judgment until February 2007 in the appeal brought by ‘the Grenada 13’ who were convicted for the murders of Grenada Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and 11 others during the 1983 coup. After three days of hearing, President Lord Bingham said the Board needed time to arrive at a decision. Lawyers argued for the release of Bernard Coard and 12 others for their roles in the execution of Bishop and members of his government on October 19, 1983. Bishop and others were killed during an internal battle among members of the People’s Revolutionary Government in St George’s. The appeal was heard before Lords Bingham, Hoffmann, Carswell, Brown, and Chief Justice Lord Phillips. The appellants were Coard, Callistus Bernard, Lester Redhead, Christopher Stroude, Hudson Austin, Liam James, Leon Cornwall, John Anthony Ventour, Dave Bartholomew, Ewart Layne, Colville Mc Barnett, Selwyn Strachan, and Cecil Prime. The appeal was heard days after three others involved in the 1983 coup - Andy Mitchell, Vincent Joseph, and Cosmos Richardson- were freed after spending their court imposed jail sentences. Coard and the others argued, should they not be released, they were entitled to be re-sentenced in Grenada. They also argued that the Governor General’s imposition of an order that they be detained for the rest of their natural lives was unconstitutional. They contend that it was a breach of the rules of natural justice to impose a life sentence without allowing them an opportunity to make representations.