(17259) Dd.897459 250m 12/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863 (16941) Dd.897300 250m 9/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
THE DEATH PENALTY
6. The Prime Minister will be asked to justify the
Queen's decision last May to reprive the murderer
Tsoi after the Governor had decided that the law should
take its course. In public we should hold to the line
that it is not customary to give reasons for such
decisions. But in private, and to the members of
Executive Council, the Prime Minister will be able to
repeat the explanation that I have already given them,
of the parliamentary situation in this country at the
time of the Tsoi case which coincided with the debate
on the death penalty in Northern Ireland.
7.
Both Executive Council and the public in Hong
Kong will however be more interested in the future, and
particularly in the case of Lam Po. This man was
convicted of murder and reprieved, and has now committed
another murder in prison. The Governor is about to
discuss the case informally with his Executive Council.
Their advice should be known by the time we meet to
consider this paper. The Governor will himself
consider the case in the light of Executive Council's
advice. If he decides to reprieve there is no problem.
But if he decides that the law must take its course,
he has agreed to give us eight weeks notice before
announcing his decision.
Minding
8. We have already considered the general question
of the death penalty in the dependent territories
:
There wonks aise th repercussions in respect of Jersey and the laiz cplan from a decision
to change the law cip Ho-s
16rs,
(DOP (73)17th meeting).
We then decided to take no
They We
steps to abolish it in those dependent territories
that have elected legislatures. also agreed that it
was important to support the Governor of Hong Kong
CONFIDENTIAL
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