INTERLOCUTORY DECISIONS
A.
Decisions transmitting a communication to the State party (rule 91)
and requesting interim measures of protection (rule 86)
Communication No. 210/1986*
Submitted by: X (name deleted) on 28 January 1986
Alleged victim: The author
State party: S
Date of decision: 21 July 1986 (twenty-eighth session)
Subject matter: Claim of innocence by individual
sentenced to death—Petition for leave to appeal to
the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Procedural issues: Interim measures of
protectionExhaustion of domestic remedies—Request for fur
ther information from State party
Substantive issues: Right to appeal—Right to seek par
don or commutation of sentence—Review of con
viction and sentence
Articles of the Covenant: 6 (4) and 14 (5)
Article of the Optional Protocol: 5 (2) (b)
Rules of Procedure: 86 and 91
The Human Rights Committee,
Noting that the communication is submitted by a per
son under sentence of death,
Noting further the author's allegation that the Privy
Council of S will no longer grant stays of execution to
anyone whose time for filing papers for the Judicial
Committee of the Privy Council in London has expired,
and his expressed concern that a change from the earlier
policy, allowing persons under death sentence to appeal
to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council after the
time-limit for so doing has expired, may result in a war
rant for his execution to be issued without further
notice,
Wishing to be sufficiently informed about the rel
evant legislative provisions and orders in council con
cerning appeals procedures and implementation of
death sentences in S before considering further the ques
tion of the admissibihty of the present communication,
Relying on the willingness of the Government of S to
co-operate with the Committee at this early stage in the
consideration of the subject-matter.
* N o t previously published in the annual report of the Human
Rights Committee.
Decides:
1. To request the State party, under rule 86 of the
Committee's provisional rules of procedure, not to
carry out the death sentence against the author, before
the Committee, in the light of the State party's reply to
the present decision, has had the opportunity to con
sider further at its next session, scheduled, at this time,
to be held from 23 March to 10 April 1987, the question
of admissibility of the present communication;
2. To transmit the communication to the State party
under rule 91 of its provisional rules of procedure and to
request the State party (a) to clarify whether persons
sentenced to death have a right of appeal to the Privy
Council in London or whether they must first apply for
leave to appeal; [b) to clarify whether there is a statutory
time-limit for filing such appeals or for seeking leave to
so appeal; (c) to furnish the Committee with the text of
the relevant legislative provisions and orders in council
concerning appeals to the Judicial Committee of the
Privy Council; (d) to clarify whether appeal to the Privy
Council constitutes a first or second appeal in this in
stance; (e) to inform the Committee whether the author
has, in fact, been allowed to appeal to the Privy Council
in London; and (/) to inform the Committee whether
persons sentenced to death may seek pardon or com
mutation of sentence up to the time of execution or
whether there is a time-limit for applying for clemency;
3. To request the State party to provide the, infor
mation sought not later than 10 December 1986;
4. That any reply received from the State party be
communicated, for information, to the author of the
communication or to his legal counsel, as may be in
dicated by him;
5. That this decision be communicated to the State
party and to the author of the communication and his
legal counsel.