CONFIDENTIAL
ANNEX 2
Flag C
in
HXC 14/501/1
1.
BACKGROUND NOTE
Abolition of Capital Punishment
The Murder (Abolition of the Death Penalty) Act 1965
which received The Royal Assent on 8 November 1965, provided
for the Abolition of capital punishment of persons convicted
in Great Britain of murder for a period of 5 years. In
December 1969 Parliament resolved that the Act should not
expire. Capital punishment was thus permanently abolished for
persons convicted of murder in Great Britain.
2. In 1965 the then Secretary of State for the Colonies in
his Circular Despatch 486/65 invited the Governments of
Dependent Territories to consider the introduction of similar
legislation in their territories also.
3. Again in 1970 the then Secretary of State for Foreign
and Commonwealth Affairs in his Circular Saving Despatch No.
19/70 of 3 March requested Governors of Dependent Territories
to "take note of the recent changes in the law of the United
Kingdom and consider whether changes can now be introduced in
the legislation in force in your territory to bring it into
line with the present law in the United Kingdom".
4. The Legislatures of the following territories declined
both in 1965 and 1970 to amend their law to abolish capital
punishment for murder, and therefore still retain the death
penalty:-
Bahamas
Bermuda
British Honduras
British Virgin Islands
/Cayman
CONFIDENTIAL