(3001) Dd.145244 400m 8/73 L.Ltd. Gp.839
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Sociek
SeXrXX
Confidential.
Restricted Kinclassified x
PRIVACY MARKING
CONFIDENTIAL
15
DRAFT
BRIEF 'A'
Type 1 +
FROM
To:-
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
In Confidence
DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GOVERNOR, AQUE KONE
DEATH PENALTY
1.
In DOPC on 11 July Ministers decided that the
death penalty should remain. But they did not
finally decide what to do if the Governor again led
in a specific case that the law must take its course,
and if political opinion in this country was against a mead
Thes
referred to
it. There is a reference to support for the Governor,
but also to the need to scrutinise Petitions to The
Queen with care in the light of the attitude of
Parliament. The Governor has said to Mr Royle that if
the Secretary of State again advised The queen to
grant a reprieve against the Governor's decision, he
would be in an impossible position in Hong Kong. If
there is to be another decision to stop an execution,
he considers it must be by a change in the law. The
problem is to work out contingency plans for policy
procedure in the event of a difficult case (and we
have been warned that a potentially difficult case
that of a double murderer
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may come before the
Governor in November). We need to ensure that we can
take the decisions and any consequent necessary action
within the time available.
CONFIDENTIAL
/2.