Mr Wilford
Sir D Watson
watson
CONFIDENTIAL
D. Stugan
135
21/6
شامي
n.
Diss Kelly to note ite
(128)
Flag
132
DEATH SENTENCE: HONG KONG
1.
Hong Kong telegram No 658 contains prior notice of the case
of YEUNG Piu-yan, which is to come before Executive Council on
Flag B 26 June. We have also received the ExCo papers.
PIA
211
2. The Governor said that he would send us the papers of
potentially difficult cases. This case does not look particularly
difficult but he is obviously playing safe. It may look like a
waste of time, as well as an interference with the Governor's
personal prerogative power, to send him advance comments on a case
which he is obviously going to reprieve anyway. I discussed this
when I was in Hong Kong, and asked the Acting Attorney General
whether it might be possible for us only to look at the papers
when Executive Council had advised against a reprieve, and the
question of a dissenting decision by the Governor had therefore
become actual. However, we agreed that, in the wake of the Tsoi
case, it would be better to provide the Governor with advance
comments, if any, in all cases on which he consulted us. This
might result in some unnecessary work, but it would be politically
preferable to giving the appearance that the Governor was awaiting
London's instructions. Even in straightforward cases it could,
in present circumstances, be useful to him to have the informal
views of the Legal Advisers.
133)
3. Mr Rushford has accordingly looked at the records of Mr Yeung's
Flag case. He has recorded that he respectfully agrees with the
/recommendation
CONFIDENTIAL