One last push of urgent e-mails needed for a Lennox miracle

July 8, 2012

by Stacey

Examiner

Source | Examiner
By Bonnie Snider

Again, in exclusive information given to me by sources close to the case of Lennox, late Friday, a staunch supporter of the campaign to free him presented herself to Buckingham Palace, to deliver a plea for a Royal Prerogative of Mercy for this precious boy. Now, e-mails are needed in support of that plea, and they need to be sent immediately.

The only people besides the Queen who have any authority to help Lennox at this point are the Northern Ireland Attorney General, John Larkin, and the Minister of Agriculture, Michelle O’Neil. The e-mail addresses for them are below.

The e-mails needed are to request that these two support the plea for the Royal Prerogative of Mercy. This time, the letters need to all say the same thing. The wording requested by the Lennox Campaign members for these e-mails is below.

View slideshow: Eleventh hour miracle for Lennox

WHOM TO CONTACT

Minister of Agriculture, Michelle O’Neil: private.office@dardni.gov.uk

Attorney General, John Larkin: contact@attorneygeneralni.gov.uk

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Minister O’Niel and Attorney General Larkin,

I am writing to you as one of over 182,500 people worldwide who have signed a petition to support and demand the release of Lennox who is currently held at an unknown location by Belfast City Council. Following a legal appeal heard by the Court of Appeal NI, Lennox has been sentenced to die and we urgently request a stay of execution of the dog Lennox by the power vested in you until the following has been clarified:

A request for clemency has been submitted to Her Majesty the Queen and to all senior politicians in Northern Ireland, requesting that Lennox be spared the death sentence and be allowed to be exported out of the UK to where safe sanctuary is waiting for him.

We believe there have been irregularities in the judicial handling of the case and there is worldwide anger and serious reservations concerning the treatment of the dog and that this may be a cover-up to hide the damage done to him while in the care of Belfast City Council.

Failing clemency, with no permission to export, the right of the family to have a final visit with their dog and be allowed to receive his body (currently rumoured to be withheld by Belfast C.C) is surely a basic right for a family grieving for their family member.

A death penalty, issued to an innocent animal, is due to be executed by Tuesday 10th July. Lennox, a much loved family companion, was seized two years ago, by council officials in Belfast City Council as an alleged “pit bull type”, he has been ordered by the courts to be destroyed and this decision was tragically upheld by the Court of Appeal NI.

Lennox has never harmed anyone; he has been prosecuted based on his appearance-for looking the wrong shape and size under breed specific legislation in NI.

Her Majesty the Queen and all senior politicians are urgently requested to use the Royal Prerogative of Mercy, which we understand starts where the law finishes and applies where a conviction and sentence has been arrived at; Lennox’s family and thousands of supporters worldwide plead for mercy.

We understand that The Royal Prerogative has been applied in NI, being used in the past by the then Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson and that a Judicial Review IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE IN NORTHERN IRELAND McGeough’s (Terence) Application [2012] NIQB 11 also examined this power as did a Judicial Review (EWHC 3102 Admin) on 17th Dec. 2008 in the case of Michael Shields before the High Courts of Justice in London. We understand that it should only be exercised where no other remedies exist and that the effect of a pardon is not to quash the conviction but releases the recipient from “all pains, penalties and punishments whatsoever that from the said conviction may ensure”.

Please, we beg you, to intervene, order a stay of execution; whilst you investigate an application for clemency and any and all other legal routes to enable Lennox to be exported out of Northern Ireland. Failing that, please insist on a stay of execution so that a clear and transparent investigation is carried out in this case so that this dog is not wrongfully put to death and doubts regarding his current condition are set at rest.

Citizens from all over the world are asking you to restore faith in the judicial system on behalf of the citizens of Northern Ireland.

I beg you to intervene urgently, please order a stay of execution and have this case investigated urgently and any and all avenues to enable the export of Lennox fully reviewed.

Please do this one final act to speak out for mercy for Lennox. He deserves to be allowed to move to the United States to live out his life in peace, and not die at the hands of strangers for no reason other than his looks.