8.
In 1965 the then Secretary of State for the Colonies
invited the Governments of Dependent Territories to consider the
introduction of similar legislation in their territories.
9. Again in 1970 the then Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs 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".
10. The Legislatures of the following dependent territories declined
both in 1965 and 1970 to amend their law to abolish capital punish-
ment for murder, and therefore still retain the death penalty:
Bermuda
Belize
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Montserrat
Turks and Caicos Islands
and
Hong Kong
(the only British Dependent Territory without elected unofficial members in the Legislature)
11. The Governors of these territories all confirmed as recently as
April 1973 that there had been no change in the attitudes of the
Legislatures concerned. As the decision to abolish capital punishment
in the United Kingdom was taken on a free vote in Parliament, (and
the penalty is still retained on the Isle of Man and the Channel
in which there is an elected legislature Islands), it would be illogical in Dependent Territories to override
local opinion on the retention of capital punishment.
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/ 12.