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Parliamentary, press and public interest. A petition for clemency was addressed to me, signed by Stanley Newens and twenty other Tribune Group MPs. The Department have answered numerous letters and telegrams from MPs, Associa- tions and members of the public and an Early Day Motion calling for the abrogation of the "Creech Jones" formula has attracted over 120 signatures in support. In replying to a business question by Mr Flannery on 8 December the Leader of the House indicated that Parliament would consider the whole question of capital punishment in the dependent territories after the recess.
5.
In their Report GEN 99(77)4 the Official Group out- lined five possible courses of action that would enable us to change the present policy:
(i) an instruction to Governors to introduce local legislation to abolish capital punishment;
(ii) legislation by Order in Council;
(iii) a bill in the British Parliament to abolish capital punishment in the dependent overseas territories;
(iv) removal from Governors of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy;
(v) abrogation of the Creech-Jones formula.
For the reasons set out in GEN 99(77)4 only nos. (iii) and (v) would have the desired effect in every territory where the death penalty is retained. I have also considered another alternative: a personal appeal to the local legislatures to introduce their own legislation. But such a course could prove disadvantageous: it is probable that some of the Governments, if not all, would reject such an appeal, which would make it very difficult for us subsequently to take any action contrary to so recent an expression of the local will.
6. As I see it, therefore, we are left with only two alternative courses of action: either a Bill to abolish the death panalty unilaterally throughout the dependent ɔverseas territories; or the abrogation of the Creech-Jones
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