Verdict Confirmed

Niue Island Murder

rE New Zealand Full Court on November 18 dismissed the ap peals by three Niue Islanders against their convictions for the murder of the Resident Commis sioner, Mr, C. H. W. Larsen on August 16.

The appeals were heard in Auck land at the end of October.

The Full Court did not admit any of the points on which the appeals were based. (See PIM for October, 1953).

To Be Returned To Niue

Although the New Zealand Execu tive Council had not, to the end of November, considered the case of the convicted men, on whose behalf the Howard League for Penal Re form and other organisations have appealed for remission of the sen tence to life imprisonment, the Minister of Justice (and Island Territories), Mr. Webb, announced on November 28 that the prisoners would be returned to Niue imme diately.

The Minister’s statement read, in part, as follows: “ . . The Law states that if they are to die, then the execution must be carried out on Niue Island.” Mr. Webb said that, to avoid delay, the prisoners would be flown from Auckland to Tonga by RNZAF aircraft on De cember 1, there to connect with the

T ?Q a which would, in the course S ™ yage ’ take them on .. . , If the death sentence is carried out v an executioner will have to be sent from New Zealand.

AUCKLAND, Dec. 14: The Governor - General o( Nz has halted

Niue executions. The case will go

Grant To Mrs. Larsen

A h b c e “ I Se n bJ e tlS' a New o Zea?S Government to Mrs C H w r„ d sen, widow of the lat?' Resident Commissioner of Niue Island?