By Tim Greenfield A lobby group working for the abolition of the death penalty is hoping Bermuda's lead will give other countries the impetus to follow suit.

Caribbean Justice, which is working to end the use of capital punishment in the region, has taken heart from the recent bill passed to end the death penalty on the Island.

And it has stated that, regardless of whether the majority of the population want to retain the punishment, humanitarian grounds should supersede those wishes.

But coordinator Shelagh Simmons admitted the group was facing a tough battle as most Caribbean nations seemed keen to retain the penalty. Only yesterday, the Bahamas hanged a man for murder.

"We would hope it would help but at the moment it seems that the Caribbean are determined to go ahead with the death penalty, but they are really going against the majority of nations in the world,'' she said.

"We greatly welcome Bermuda's addition to the majority of nations who have already rejected this inhumane, ineffective punishment.'' Ms Simmons, speaking from Caribbean Justice's base in England, said the fact that United Bermuda Party MP John Barritt said the move was against the wishes of the population did not matter since abolition was done on moral grounds.

"Government should protect us from our own worst instincts and on occasions take a moral lead,'' she said. "The evidence is that most public opinion on judicial killing is formed on the basis of knee-jerk reaction rather than reasoned debate.'' Caribbean Justice lobbies governments and tries to raise awareness where the death penalty is still used.

Meanwhile, a 27-year-old man who stabbed a German couple to death in their beds was hanged behind the walls of Fox Hill Prison in Nassau on Thursday, in the fourth execution since the Bahamas resumed capital punishment in 1996.

Three hangings had been scheduled but a second convicted murderer won a stay of execution and the third, beautician John Higgs, 51, committed suicide on Tuesday night.

"I think people are disappointed it's only one hanging instead of three,'' said Nassau resident Ricardo Wright.

Twenty-five inmates remain on death row in the Bahamas, including 32-year-old Edison Thurston, whose appeal against the death penalty is being heard by the Privy Council in London, which is a final court of appeal for several former British colonies.

JAIL JAL