In addition to these factors it would be usual to take secount of
the general character and record of the prisoner, the nature of his offence and the likely public reaction to his earlier release,
Application of Review procedure to Confrontation Prisoners
6.
In order to secure the release from China last year of Mr. Grey,
the Governor put forward the idea of using the Prisons Board of
keview as a ploy to engineer the earlier release of a number of confrontation prisoners and in particular the release of Wong Chak, last of the communist newsworker prisoners with whose situation the
Peking authorities had equated that of Er. Grey and who was not due for release (with full normal romission) until 1971.
7. Under normal procedures the Board was not entitled under
Rule 69A to review the case of Yong Chak sinee the latter was
serving only a five year sentence, However, in the exercise of
his discretion, the Governor gave instructions to the Board that it should review the sentences of all prisoners serving sentences of four years or more, This ploy was successful; a number of confrontation prisoners were released end in particular Yong Chek was
released last October. This was quickly followed by the relcane
of Mr. Grey.
8. Having completed their review of the sentences of all confronta- tion prisoners serving more than four years, the Board has no powor
to undertake ang further review of any sentences for another two years (one year in the case of any prisoners under 21 when the offence was committed), unless the Governor once again instructs
them to do so. The initiative for further action does not therefore
rest with the Boari.
Further Use of Revier Procedure
9.
For the following reasons it is considered that the same
procedures cannot be effectively or safely used again to meed the
release of confrontation prisoners 1-
/ (1)