The UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges...

The UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Param Cumaraswamy, in an urgent communication to the United States Government, has expressed his grave concern over the scheduled execution of Alexander Edmund Williams on 24 August 2000. According to the Special Rapporteur the Williams' death sentence may have been imposed due to the incompetence of his State-appointed attorney. The Special Rapporteur also drew the Government's attention that the State may be in breach of its obligations under Principle 6 of the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, which obligates the State to provide a lawyer of "experience and competence commensurate with the nature of the offence" charged with "in order to provide effective legal assistance" when the accused is unable to pay for the services of a lawyer. The Special Rapporteur called on the Board of Pardons and Paroles of Georgia to review the case and commute the death sentence and, in the meantime, to stay the execution.