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the case coincided with parliamentary discussion on the issue
of capital punishment both in itself and in its application to
Northern Ireland.
B. Capital Punishment in independent countries near
Dependent Territories where death penalty is retained
4.
Excluding Hong Kong, all the dependencies in which the death
penalty is retained are in the Caribbean area. The neighbouring
countries in question are: Grenada and the West Indian Associated
States, and Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Puerto
Rico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Venezuela.
5. We have no accurate information readily available on the
retention of capital punishment in all these countries. We know
that it exists in Guatemala, Columbia, Grenada and in all the
Associated States, and that it has been abolished in Costa Rica.
We believe that it is retained in all or nearly all of the others.
C. Capital Punishment in Commonwealth countries
6.
Only Australia and New Zealand have abolished capital See 44 punishment. Canada has abolished it except in cases of murder of
a Police or Prison Officer. All other members of the Commonwealth
Zambia
have retained it. Kenya, and Nigeria have recently extended it to
include punishment for armed robbery.
D. Retention of Capital Punishment in Dependent Territories
7. 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, on
a free vote, Parliament resolved that the Act should not expire.
Capital punishment was thus permanently abolished for persons
convicted of murder in Great Britain.
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18.