A CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

A Brief History of the Political and Judicial Conspiracy Against the Grenada 17

	Event	Period	Remarks
1.	Capture of government & army leadership by US invading forces	Oct. 29-Nov. 6, 1983	P.O.W. status; Geneva Convention violated. [See OAS Court’s Ruling: Report No. 109/99 of September 29, 1999 – Case No. 10.951: Coard et al versus United States]
2.	Physical & psychological torture of Grenada 17 by police officers of the invading forces	Nov. 13, 1983-Mar. 7, 1984	Not a single Grenadian police officer used to charge the Grenada 17 [See Torture Affidavits of the Grenada 17 17, plus Amnesty International Oct, 2003 Report on this]
3.	Massive Adverse Pre-trial Publicity by US forces [spending US$7 million to do so]		Putting up posters with photos of accused all over Grenada, declaring them “murderers” and “criminals”
4.	Kangaroo Trial Phase 1: the Preliminary Inquiry	April-Aug. 1984
5.	The Grenada Supreme Court declares itself unconstitutional yet competent to hear the trial	May 1985
6.	Justice Denis Byron flown in from Antigua and given a special contract to hear the trial of the Grenada 17	February 1986	A specially-contracted judge for a case! Unprecedented!
7.	Kangaroo Trial Phase 2: The High Court	Mar 3-Dec 4, 1986	Held in the absence of the defendants
8.	Tampering with the Jury: · Panel of jurors dismissed, the registrar fired, a member of the Prosecution team installed in his place and a new panel of jurors selected by this prosecutor-cum-registrar · Three new Jury laws passed for the purpose of the trial	March-April 1986	All this is happening during the course of the trial
9.	New panel of jurors publicly shouts at the Grenada 17 referring to them as “murderers,” “killers”; these jurors also threatened the lawyers defending the Grenada 17	April 11, 1986	This happened 2 weeks before the first witness is called
10.	Several members of the Grenada 17 beaten by police officers assigned to the court; the latter shouted, “Recognise the court!” while doing this	April 25, 1986	Aimed at preventing their challenges of the court’s constitutionality
11.	A constitutional motion, Suit 191 of 1986, filed	June 1986	The main query was about the tampered jury
12.	The High Court ‘trial’ ends and Justice Byron leaves Grenada a few days later	Dec. 4, 1986	Death sentences imposed on 14 members; unlawfully lengthy prison terms on three soldiers
13.	Brigadier R. Lewis, chief of Barbados Defence Force, together with US Embassy officials in Barbados, selects Seven of the Grenada 17 for hanging	1987	Declassified US Secret Department of Defence documents, pages 263 & 264, reveal this was done three-four years before the hearing & determination of the appeal!
14.	Kangaroo Trial Phase 3: The Appeal	March 1988-July 1991	Each Appeal Court Judge paid approx. EC$1 million to hear this case
15.	US Embassy plots legal strategy with judges and prosecutor involved in the Grenada 17’s case	1987-1991	From Declassified US Secret documents – available on request from CHRG, UK
16.	St. Lucian Prime Minister John Compton, as OECS Chairman, sends Grenada’s PM H. A. Blaize a letter stating that Grenada’s Constitutional Court would not be returned to Grenada until the full disposal of the Grenada 17’s case in the unconstitutional court	March 22, 1988	A clear case of outside political interference in the outcome of the case. (copies available on request)
17.	The Appeal Court judges withhold their decision, until paid an additional US$650,000 solely for the case of the Grenada 17	Sept 1990-July 1991	Some call it extortion; others bribery. You decide! (See Declassified US Secret Department of State documents, pages 0656-0658, re this)
18.	Appeal Court judges give their decision upholding the High Court convictions. They promised a later written judgement	July 12, 1991	To date, 14 years later, no written judgement has been given
19.	Act 19 of 1991 passed to return the OECS Constitutional Court system to Grenada; and a special law, Section 7 (4) of Act 19 of 1991, passed preventing the Grenada 17 from taking their appeal to the Privy Council, Grenada’s highest and only impartial court	July 19, 1991 [Passed to take effect on August 1^st, 1991]	The judgement is not available for public scrutiny. The case cannot be further scrutinized. Despite Section 8 (3) of Grenada’s Constitution, the Appeal Court Judges refuse to give the accused or their lawyers a copy. What are they hiding? What are they afraid of?
20.	The Grenada 17 file an appeal to the OECS Appeal Court	July 29, 1991
21.	In response to this action the government suspends the coming into force of the OECS court in Grenada on 1^st August 1991	July 30, 1991	Musical chairs so as to prevent the Constitutional court hearing the Grenada 17 case
22.	Preparing the gallows, hiring the hangman, digging graves, making straight jackets – all meant for the execution of five of the 17	July-August 1991	All five being among the seven selected by the US Embassy 3 years earlier for execution [see # 13 above]
23.	Commutation of death sentences to life sentences	Aug. 15, 1991	Result of international pressure
24.	Several speeches by Prime Minister Mitchell giving the impression that the Grenada 17 would be released	June 1995-Dec 1999	Political tactics designed to keep the 17 from going to court
25.	Despite talk of reconciliation, the government consistently packed the Mercy Committee with persons hostile to the Grenada 17; thus they consistently refused the release of Phyllis Coard and Kamau McBarnette on humanitarian grounds	1996 to present	Even in the case of life-threatening illness Phyllis Coard has been given only a temporary respite. [All other prisoners with life-threatening illnesses have been released outright, in keeping with Section 83 of Prison Rules and the Prison Law.]
26.	Government instructs the Prison Commissioner to deny the Grenada 17 access to their lawyer	Aug 2000-April 2001	Fear that the 17’s court action would free them
27.	Constitutional motion in the High Court to secure the right to legal counsel	April 2001	The 17 are the only Grenadians forced to take such action
28.	High Court Judge Brian Alleyne rules that the Grenada 17 has a right of access to counsel	April 27, 2001
29.	Constitutional motion filed in High Court on behalf of three members of the Grenada 17 being illegally held in prison for past 6 years	June 28, 2001
30.	Justice Brian Alleyne temporarily transferred out of the Grenada, by Chief Justice Byron. Byron was the High Court Judge who handed down the illegal sentences, which were being complained of in the motion. However, Justice Alleyne was returned to Grenada, in December, following vigorous protests from the Grenada 17 and other quarters. [See Grenada 17 letter of 1^st October 2001 to St. Lucian PM Dr. Kenny Anthony, in his capacity as CARICOM Prime Minister Responsible For Justice And Good Governance re this, published in the Grenada Today newspaper, October 2001.]	September, 2001	This was viewed as an obvious attempt by Chief Justice Byron to interfere with the legal process. There were newspaper columns and even an editorial condemning this vulgar tactic.
31.	Constitutional motion on behalf of three members of the Grenada 17 finally heard by Justice Alleyne, after a series of delays, for eight months, by the government	Feb 14, 2002	High Court Justice Alleyne orders their release 'forthwith'
32.	Government orders the Supreme Court Registrar to ignore the High Court Order while they get an Appeal Court judge to grant a stay in violation of the law	Feb 14-20, 2002	PM Mitchell says only “the people as a whole” can free the 17; not the court, not the law [Feb 20 & 24, 2002 speeches]. PM Mitchell angrily denounces the judge who made the order. The judge was permanently transferred out of Grenada a few months later.
33.	Appeal Court hears the government’s appeal of Justice Alleyne’s Feb 14^th Judgment	July 22, 2002
34.	Constitutional motion filed in High Court on behalf of thirteen members of the Grenada 17, challenging the "life sentence" imposed on each of them by the Governor General in August 1991	September 23, 2002
35.	Appeal Court delivers Judgment against the three members of the Grenada 17	November 22, 2002	They overrule the High Court judgment to free the three men.
36.	Lawyers for the three members of the Grenada 17 apply to the Appeal Court for leave to appeal the case to the Privy Council	November 25, 2002	The government strongly objects to the application for leave to appeal to the Privy Council! What are they afraid of?
37.	The Appeal Court finally hears the application for leave to appeal the case to the Privy Council	March 12, 2003	After a four months delay
38.	Constitutional motion on behalf of thirteen members of the Grenada 17 heard by High Court Justice Kenneth Benjamin	July 14-15, 2003
39.	PM Keith Mitchell, in an attempt to intervene in the judicial process, states on BBC Radio's Caribbean Report that the issue of the release of the Grenada 17 prisoners is "a matter for the people"	August 1, 2003	This, when he knew that Justice Benjamin had NOT yet given a judgment in the motion. In the circumstances, this was another crude attempt to publicly threaten, pressure and intimidate the judge to rule against the Grenada 17.
40.	Amnesty International issues a Report [The Grenada 17: Last of the Cold War Prisoners?] condemning the conduct of Chief Justice Byron in the Grenada 17 "trial".	October 24, 2003	Amnesty says “trial” did not meet international standards: calls for a review of the “trial”, or the government must free the Grenada 17
41.	The Appeal Court, presided over by Justice Albert Redhead finally rules that the Court of Appeal has NO jurisdiction to grant leave to appeal to the Privy Council, thus denying their application for leave to appeal to the Privy Council	January 26, 2004	After a fourteen months delay! And ONLY after a letter from Amnesty International to the Appeal Court asking about the judgment. Many legal observers viewed this as yet another nakedly perverse and politically motivated ruling
42.	High Court Justice Kenneth Benjamin rules that the "life sentence" imposed on each of the thirteen members of the Grenada 17 by the Governor General in August 1991 is unconstitutional and illegal	March 16, 2004	Orders that they be remanded to prison to return to court on April 27, 2004 for proper sentencing. Awards costs for denial of Appeal Court July 1991 judgment
43.	Appeal Court Justice Gordon grants the government a stay of execution of Justice Benjamin’s Orders	April 26, 2004
44.	Grenada 17 object to retired Appeal Court Justice Albert Redhead being brought back as a temporary judge to hear appeal of Justice Benjamin’s March 16, 2004 Judgment	July 1, 2004	Justice Albert Redhead recuses himself after lawyers’ application that he has shown bias against the Grenada 17
45.	Appeal Court hears the appeal of Justice Benjamin’s March 16, 2004 Judgment	Nov 22, 2004
46.	Appeal Court, presided by Justice Brian Alleyne, delivers Judgment against thirteen members of the Grenada 17, reversing Justice Benjamin’s Orders	Feb 14, 2005
47.	The Appeal Court hears the application for leave of thirteen members of the Grenada 17 to appeal their motion to the Privy Council	June 27, 2005	After a four months delay
48.	The Appeal Court grants the application for leave for thirteen members of the Grenada 17 to take their motion to the Privy Council	June 29, 2005

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