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Petitions to other members of the Royal Family (para 9.6)
Petitions sent direct to the Prime Minister (para 9.7)
Petitions sent direct to the Secretary of State (para 9.8)
Petitions from lunatics (para 9.9)
Petitions to the United Nations (para 9.10)
Petitions requesting the Prerogative of Mercy (Chapter 12)
9.4
9.5
9.4
9.4.1
9.4.2
9.4.3
9.4.4
PETITIONS ADDRESSED OR REFERRED TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE
For the substantive treatment of petitions from persons in a DT there must be a report and recommendation from the OAG. In normal circumstances an Assistant Under-Secretary of State may take a decision to support the recommendation of the OAG, and then set in hand the appropriate procedure for answering the petition (see paras 9.5 to 9.9). Annexes 13 to 16 set out the logical sequence of dealing with petitions.
If in the course of consultations about the petition either inside or outside the FCO any sound reason is adduced as to why the recommendation of the OAG should not be accepted, or if the Departmental Legal Adviser so recommends, the Assistant Under-Secretary of State is obliged to submit the recommendation of the OAG, together with the arguments against its acceptance, to the Secretary of State or other appropriate Minister for a decision.
When it is proposed to support the recommendation of the OAG, but an important point of principle or policy is involved, or the decision may alter the policy or practice in some other DT, the Assistant Under-Secretary of State submits the petition, together with the proposed answer, to the Secretary of State or other appropriate Minister.
Once a decision has been taken at the appropriate level, and the procedure for informing the petitioner has been carried out (see paras 9.5 to 9.9), the desk officer may turn down any subsequent petition on the same matter without reference to any higher authority. But he should decide, in consultation with the OAG, whether there is any new matter in the petition and if there is, the decision should be made at the level of Assistant Under-Secretary (see para 9.5.18).
9.5
PETITIONS TO THE QUEEN
9.5.1
Petitions to The Queen are of the following kinds:
Appeals arising from decisions of a Governor or the Secretary of State (see paras 9.5.3 to 9.5.10)
Petitions to Her Majesty in Council, ie intended for the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (see paras 9.5.11 to 9.5.16)
October 1978
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