Bermuda Regiment objector Magnus Henagulph ended his hunger strike last night after being released from a Warwick Camp jail cell after winning his day in court.

His lawyer, Patrick Doherty, was granted a private hearing by Assistant Justice Philip Storr yesterday.

Mr. Doherty did not want to talk about the case but it is believed Mr. Storr requested more evidence from Mr. Henagulph to be presented again next week.

It is thought Mr. Doherty will seek to prove that the tribunal hearing which heard Mr. Henagulph's claim that he is a conscientious objector denied him natural justice, although the whole issue of conscription may also be challenged.

The 26-year-old Royal Gazette business reporter was thrown in solitary confinement on Wednesday after disobeying orders to collect his kit.

Conscientious objectors who win their appeal can serve in the St. John Ambulance Brigade, the St. George's Fire brigade and the Reserve Police.

Adjutant William White said the bulk of the 20-plus exemptions were allowed for people already helping those services when the Regiment call-up came.

Last night, Regiment Commanding officer Lt. Col. David Gibbons also declined to comment about the Henagulph case, citing a ruling by the judge in the chambers session.

Meanwhile, Lawyer Darcy Lord is lobbying the British Government to end conscription, which he says is outdated and sexist.

Bermuda conscripts more than 100 fresh recruits each year for a stint lasting three years and two months.

Mr. Lord has written to Overseas Territories Minister Baroness Amos and is offering to travel to the UK to make the case personally.

The UK should check if forcing people to sign up to the Bermuda Regiment was against European law said Mr. Lord.

He said: "I am appalled that a colony of the United Kingdom, which is subject to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the resolutions of the European Parliament, can still contemplate imposing penal sanctions on its youth for failure to join the Regiment."

He said Bermuda was the only colony to have conscription, which was abolished in the UK itself in the early 1960s.

"It is difficult to comprehend why it is still enforced in Bermuda."

"I would also point out that the Defence Act 1965 only applies to men. Legislation which only applies to a segment of the population and which imposes a penal sanction must be in breach of the Bermuda Constitution and fundamental human rights."

Last night, Public Safety Minister Terry Lister said there were no plans to scrap the Bermuda Regiment, which he said was vital to maintain internal security, ceremonial purposes and to help out in storms.

He said: "When we do have a civil incident the Regiment can be embodied. I myself served in the Regiment in 1981 during the embodiment and went to camp.

"Personally, I am not very sympathetic to those who, without good reason, want to be out of it."

Asked if parade ground swearing was a healthy influence on recruits who might have strong Christian beliefs he said: "I had a Christian upbringing and I wasn't scarred by it."

He also denied that fear of Regiment duty was forcing some potential recruits to stay abroad, thereby leading to a brain drain which robbed the country of young talent and increasing the need for imported workers.

He said: "That's a nonsense. I don't think that applies to more than five people out of every graduating class if it was that. I would prefer to think it was one or none."

He said Government would be looking to boost recruits to 130 or 140 each year instead of the current figure of around 110 men.

He said people were getting out of the army by coming up with lame excuses.

He said: "We have people who can't join because they have had bike accidents.

"They can walk around the streets but they can't march. Then we have people with fallen arches."