CO129-503-10 Petitions from gaol prisoners- method of procedure 6-1-1927 - 28-3-1927 — Page 4

11 APR 1927

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Any communication subject of this letter should be addressed to-

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE,

HOME OFFICE,

LONDON, S.W. 1,

and the following number quoted :—

457,378/19.

30093

3

RECEIVED

30 MAR 1927,

COL. OFFICE

HOME OFFICE,

WHITEHALL.

28th March, 1927.

4

Sir,

ho. 2

With reference to your letter of 18th ultimo (30093/27)

I am directed by Secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks to say,

for the information of Mr. Secretary Amery, that the Hong Kong

Regulation in regard to petitions from prisoners has no

parallel in English Prison Standing Orders and for many

reasons he considers that any such Regulation is undesirable.

Prisoners are allowed to petition at anytime after the reply

to the last petition has been receivel, and few prisoners

petition so often and in such terms that it becomes necessary

to tell them that they will not be allowed to petition

again for x months, this decision, and the decision as to

the number of months, being that of the Secretary of State.

As regards petitions for the exercise of the Prerogative,

it appears to Sir William Joynson-Hicks to be of doubtful

constitutional propriety to prevent a prisoner from petitioning

more than once in the first year. On the issue of guilt or

innocence and on the question of severity of sentence, there

are in this country rights of appeal, but prisoners are not

debarred from petitioning on those issues. If they keep

petitioning on the same lines they are sometimes told, by

direction of the Secretary of State, that they have nothing

The Under Secretary of State,

COLONIAL OFFICE.

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