нка 3861
RECEIVED IN *** **Y NOT - 9 DEC 1977
DESK OFFyl
INDEX
REGISTRY Action Taken
Yes
EL
296
HKGD
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
- 9 DEC 1977.
W241
Thank you for your letter of 16 November about the case
of Sylvester Gaston in the British Virgin Islands.
You will by now have seen my statement in the House on
5 December about the situation in Bermuda on which I set out the
policy towards capital punishment in the Dependent Territories.
As you know, it has been the policy of successive British
Governments to extend an increasing degree of self-government to
our remaining Dependent Territories. Many of them now have considerable control over their own affairs, except defence,
security and external relations. In 1965 when the death penalty
was suspended in this country we invited those Territories where it
was still retained to follow our example but a number of them,
including the British Virgin Islands, declined to do so. The suggestion was repeated in 1970 with the same result.
In answering questions after my statement on Monday, I made
it clear that the Government are willing to look at the whole
question of capital punishment in the Dependent Overseas Territories
and in particular to ask those Dependent Territories where there is
still capital punishment to review the legislative position in the
light of our practice in this country.
The Lord Kennet
/As regards