Advocates and politicians have slammed Premier Jennifer Smith's silence over the fate of Bermuda-born Tracy Housel after she failed to publicly respond to appeals to plead for his life.

Anti-death penalty campaigners The Louisiana Crisis Assistance Center (LCAC) wrote last year asking her to appeal to Georgia's Pardons and Paroles Board to spare his life, but heard nothing.

The letter was signed by lawyer Gary Proctor, who recently left Bermuda to work as a volunteer with LCAC, British MP Vera Baird and Adrian Fulford, QC, who heads Housel's UK legal team.

Mr. Proctor said last night as Housel faced his death: "I am told there was a fax yesterday but the clemency hearing was at 3.30, so what good a fax at 6.30 is I can't possibly say - the horse had already bolted and was three blocks away.

"The British Government did all they could, the Bermuda Government had a chance and didn't do very much.

"They can live with it or laugh it off, I don't particularly care either way at this point."

In January, Foreign and Commonwealth Minister Baroness Amos wrote to the Premier to ask for her support in persuading the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles and its governor to commute his sentence, but The Royal Gazette understands there had been no response.

Calls to the Premier via the Cabinet office have not been returned over a number of weeks and they were not returned again yesterday.

A Government spokeswoman said: "I have been unable to ascertain if any letter went back to Baroness Amos, but the Bermuda Government is against capital punishment."

Amnesty International's local chairperson Lucy Attride-Stirling said when a man's life hung in the balance it was important to act.

She said: "The Premier should have made a statement on this. If she had received some information, she should have made it public.

"Since this Government was instrumental in abolishing the death penalty, you would have thought they would have taken the opportunity to extend this to Tracy Housel.

"However, they didn't say anything, nothing came out of it - the Government should have been vocal about it. I don't know the reason why they weren't."

Ms Attride-Stirling welcomed the fact that Attorney General Dame Lois had launched a personal appeal.

Dame Lois said that Housel's mental illness was never mentioned at his trial and had that he had a untreated medical condition which, combined with poor diet, drugs and alcohol, had led to a state of diminished responsibility when he committed the murder.

However, Shadow Legislative Affairs spokesman John Barritt said: "Why wasn't Dame Lois able to persuade her colleagues she could write on behalf of Cabinet? It escapes me.

"It is embarrassing if it ever comes out overseas that Bermuda was asked to state its position but didn't say it - the average person will want to know what's the problem? Do they know something about this case that the rest of us don't?"

In December 1999, Jennifer Smith's government passed a bill abolishing capital punishment in Bermuda.

At that time Ms Smith said: "If we value all life, then when any life is taken, it's a tragedy - it's a shame. All life is sacred."

Mr. Barritt said last night: "Do they or do they not believe in capital punishment? Or does it depend on whether the person is tried and convicted in Bermuda?"

He said the Opposition would have written back to the UK Government to state they supported capital punishment - not ignored it as the Government seems to have done.

"If nothing else, as a courtesy you indicate to the British your position," said Mr. Barritt. "We would have made it clear - to the public as well as the British."