British lawyers unite to call on the Foreign Secretary to do what he can to stop the execution of Jack Alderman
12 September 2008
Reprieve, the Bar Council and the Law Society are calling on the Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon David Miliband MP, to do whatever he can to persuade the Board of Pardons and Paroles of the State of Georgia, USA to stay the execution of Jack Alderman who is due to die on Tuesday 16 September 2008.
Mr Alderman has been on death row for 34 years – the longest time spent by any prisoner in the US. Reprieve, the Bar Council and the Law Society believe that no person should be forced to live in such conditions for so long. That Mr Alderman has been forced to do so is a form of torture.
Mr Alderman has always maintained that he did not kill his wife. Reprieve, the Bar Council and the Law Society have grave concerns about the strength of the evidence on which Mr Alderman’s conviction was based. At the very least the execution, planned for 16 September 2008, should be stayed until these issues can be resolved
Mr Alderman has been represented on a pro bono basis by Clifford Chance LLP, Richard Lissack QC and number of other barristers. In a recent application to the Georgia Board of Paroles and Pardons it was argued that Mr Alderman, a deeply devout Christian, has been a model prisoner throughout the 34 years of his incarceration. His strong Christian faith has made a deep impression on his fellow inmates, prison warders, clergy and attorneys.
Mr Alderman’s co-defendant, the admitted killer of Barbara Alderman, served only twelve and a half years in prison for his part in her killing. It cannot be just that Mr Alderman is now to be executed for a crime committed in 1975.
Tim Dutton QC, Chairman of the Bar Council today said:
“I am concerned that the execution of Mr Alderman may be a grave miscarriage of justice. In any event, the execution of this man in these circumstances raises serious questions about the human rights of Mr Alderman, and about the way he has been treated as a human being. Governor Perdue and the people of Georgia will know that the eyes of the world are on them at this time. That Mr Alderman faces his unjust fate with dignity and honour is a testament to his courage, and his faith.”
Paul Marsh, President of the Law Society today said:
“On behalf of the legal profession I want to ensure proper observance of the rule of law and human rights in all jurisdictions throughout the world. The Law Society is deeply concerned to learn that the State of Georgia is pushing ahead with Mr Alderman's execution. To execute him now after 34 years, living with the ever present and mounting anguish of awaiting the death penalty, would amount to cruel and inhuman punishment. We urge the Pardons and Parole Board and the authorities in Georgia to grant Mr Alderman clemency and commutation of his death sentence.”
Clive Stafford Smith, Reprieve’s Director said:
“I first met Jack in 1981, and 27 years later the state of Georgia still wants to execute him, even though he is completely innocent. He is an old man now. This whole situation is just obscene.”
Notes for editors:
1. A petition to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles has been organised calling on the Board to grant a hearing. The petition is at www.justiceforjack.org
2. For more information please contact
Andy Worthington, Communications Manager, Reprieve - 020 7427 1099
Dominick Moxon-Tritsch, Bar Council press office - 020 7222 2525
Melissa Davis, Law Society press office - 020 7320 5811
3. Reprieve, a legal action charity, uses the law to enforce the human rights of prisoners, from death row to Guantánamo Bay. Reprieve investigates, litigates and educates, working on the frontline, to provide legal support to prisoners unable to pay for it themselves. Reprieve promotes the rule of law around the world, securing each person’s right to a fair trial and saving lives.
4. Clive Stafford Smith is the founder of Reprieve and has spent 25 years working on behalf of people facing the death penalty in the USA. Reprieve lawyers currently represent over thirty prisoners held in Guantánamo Bay. For more details about Reprieve, visit: www.reprieve.org.uk
