CONFIDENTIAL
Mr Crodege
has seen)
21/5
(Mr Stuart (11)
Then
PA
BJ
21/5
RECORD OF CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE AND MRS SYMONS AND
MR CHEONG-LEEN HELD AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE ON THURSDAY 16 MAY 1974 AT 1100 HOURS
Present
Lord Goronwy-Roberts
Mrs Joyce Symons
Mr AC Galsworthy
Mr Hilton Cheong-Leen
Mr B H Dinwiddy
(Mrs Symons and Mr Cheong-Leen, both Unofficial Members of Hong Kong's Legislative Council, made their call during a visit to Britain at the invitation of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association)
DEATH PENALTY
1.
Mrs Symons said there was concern in the Legislative Council about the UK attitude towards the death penalty in Hong Kong. She asked whether the use of the death penalty could be restored for a trial period of, say, two to three years, to judge the effect on the crime rate. Mr Cheong-Leen recalled the case of Tsoi in 1973. There was now a general impression in Hong Kong that reprieve would be automatic with respect to any case referred to London: this made a mockery of Hong Kong law and encouraged violent crime. He suggested that some indication could be given that the UK would not interfere in any future case where the Governor-in-Council decided that the death sentence should be imposed.
2.
Lord Goronwy-Roberts emphasised that the constitutional position was unchanged, and the death penalty remained on the statute books. The Governor exercised the prerogative of mercy on the advice of the Executive Council. He had taken careful note of what Mrs Symons and Mr Cheong-Leen had said, but he thought that cases referred to Britain would have to be
considered on their merits. An assurance of the kind which Mr Cheong-Leen had mentioned would cut across the constitutional
LAST Polled
CONFIDENTIAL
/position