(168)
167) A
B, C, D 163-5
1ST E
#2
F
G
PS/PUS
CONFIDENTIAL
Mr Freeland Mr Duff
cc:
Mr Cortazzi
Mr Stratton
Mr Stephen
Mr Rushford
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN BERMUDA
RE
HKG 380/1
1 1 NOV 1977
DESK 0.
INDEX
7. 51
NISTRY
ction Takı:
Yes Ax &
Soutary of State
Amy King
The
portin
must be hela herë
is
1. The Private Secretary's minute of 28 October recorded
the Secretary of State's acceptance of the position outlined in
Hamilton telegrams numbers 32, 33 and 34: i.e. that the law
must take its course in the matter of the two condemned murderers
in Bermuda. (The Governor's telegrams replied to the Secretary
of State's personal telegram No 33 asking for a final review of
the case in the light of the local petition from Bermuda).
This means that the Secretary of State will need to advise The
Queen that the petition should be rejected;
following which
Sir Peter Ramsbotham will have to be told that the executions
can be carried out.
2. The Secretary of State has said that he does not wish to
provoke a major row in the House of Commons on capital punishment,
but there is clearly going to be a reaction whatever happens in
this case. When the executions go ahead, the abolitionist
lobby will presumably attack the Government forcefully and
emotionally for allowing executions to be carried out in a
British territory. On the other hand if there had been grounds
for advising The Queen that the law should not take its course
there would have been voluble protests in Bermuda, though once
again a minority will protest when the executions are carried
However as the Governor points out in paragraph 3 of
out.
CONFIDENTIAL
/his