KRISHNA MAHARAJ AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY

Summary

That this House believes the murder conviction of Krishna Maharaj in Florida 13 years ago is at the least unsafe; notes that the death penalty was based on a seven to five jury decision; respects the judgement of Clive Stafford Smith OBE that Mr Maharaj has perhaps the most compelling case for innocence of the 300 capital cases he has done in the United States; worries that the original short contested trial was finished by a second judge after the starting judge was taken away in shackles on suspicion of accepting bribes in a different case and that there is reason to believe that a member of the prosecuting office approached Mr Maharaj in prison to invite him to hire a friend as defense lawyer with the expectation of bail or of the case being ended; notes the support of this Parliament, the Law Society and human rights lawyers in the campaign for justice for Mr Maharaj; and asks the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to request that the Office of the Florida Attorney not seek the death penalty anew and to consider raising the issue of repatriation.

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Timeline

1. 21 December 2000

   Early Day Motion

   That this House believes the murder conviction of Krishna Maharaj in Florida 13 years ago is at the least unsafe; notes that the death penalty was based on a seven to five jury decision; respects the judgement of Clive Stafford Smith OBE that Mr Maharaj has perhaps the most compelling case for innocence of the 300 capital cases he has done in the United States; worries that the original short contested trial was finished by a second judge after the starting judge was taken away in shackles on suspicion of accepting bribes in a different case and that there is reason to believe that a member of the prosecuting office approached Mr Maharaj in prison to invite him to hire a friend as defense lawyer with the expectation of bail or of the case being ended; notes the support of this Parliament, the Law Society and human rights lawyers in the campaign for justice for Mr Maharaj; and asks the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to request that the Office of the Florida Attorney not seek the death penalty anew and to consider raising the issue of repatriation.

   Source: Early Day Motion

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• Peter Bottomley · Conservative · Primary sponsor

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