Franklin and David Thomas (both died 13 February 1995) were convicted
murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...
ers who were executed by hanging in
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, sometimes known simply as Saint Vincent or SVG, is an island country in the eastern Caribbean. It is located in the southeast Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, which lie in the West Indies, at the south ...
(SVG). Their executions, along with that of
Douglas Hamlet, were the last executions performed by SVG to date, and caused controversy in the region due to questions about due process and the fairness of the execution without the opportunity to appeal.
Background
Franklin and David Thomas were convicted of murder and received mandatory death sentences. After their appeal to SVG appeal courts failed, they were notified on Friday, 9 February 1995 that their executions would take place the following Monday morning. However, they still had a legal right to appeal to the
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 August ...
(JCPC) in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, which is the
supreme court
In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
for SVG.
On 13 February 1995, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines carried out a triple
hanging
Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...
, which was notable due to its short announcement time that prevented the brothers the opportunity to appeal. On that day the brothers Franklin and David Thomas, and
Douglas Hamlet were executed.
Reaction and aftermath
The surprise nature of the triple hanging was a source of controversy in the country and the wider region.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
and other human rights organizations found out about the scheduled executions approximately 36 hours before they took place. After the executions were carried out, Amnesty International condemned the government's actions, citing "the secrecy and speed with which these executions have been carried out may have denied the prisoners justice."
After the triple execution in 1995, the government of SVG has had a defacto moratorium on executions, despite capital punishment remaining legal in the country. The topic of capital punishment remains a topic of debate in SVG. Prime Minister
Ralph Gonsalves
Ralph Everard Gonsalves (born 8 August 1946) is a Vincentian politician who has served as prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the leader of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) since 2001. has spoken in favour of capital punishment, while recounting the unlikeliness this will occur, as "the Court of Appeal and the Privy Council decided practically that no one can be sent to the gallows anymore for murder".
References
{{SaintVincent-bio-stub