GEORGE Speight was never granted a presidential pardon, according to Fiji Law Society president and former attorney-general Graham Leung, who says the decision to extend mercy to the convicted coup leader did not overturn his conviction.
Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Leung said the President had granted Speight mercy by postponing the carrying out of his punishment for an indeterminate period, in recognition of his rehabilitation and the length of time he had served in prison.
“A pardon amounted to forgiveness for a crime and a partial or full release from the legal consequences of a conviction,” Mr Leung said.
Mr Leung’s clarification follows Speight’s recent claim that contrary to a Government announcement, he never received a “presidential pardon”.
This term, however, was only used by the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) in its announcement of Speight’s release in September 2024.
“I can’t speak for the FCS but I think some people may have confused the extension of mercy to Speight and others as being the same thing as a pardon, which it was not.”
He said the Mercy Commission had not recommended a pardon for Speight and its official announcement at the time made no mention of the term.
“Postponing a life sentence for an indeterminate period could mean the balance of the sentence could be revived at any time.
“So yes, his conviction still stands.”
He said the Solicitor-General should clarify the circumstances surrounding the decision, as the Mercy Commission’s records would be kept in that office.
Meanwhile, FCS has yet to respond to questions about who authorised the use of the term “presidential pardon” when announcing Speight’s release in September 2024.
