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CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE DEPENDENT OVERSEAS DESK
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1. I had intended to comment extensively on the draft
telegram and draft letter attached to Mr Stewart's submission
of 3 March.
However, in view of Mr Cortazzi's recasting of
the draft telegram (with which I agree), I need confine my
comments only to two points which arise on paragraph 4 of the
draft letter.
2. In the first place, I would hope that Mr Rowlands would
agree to the omission of the two phrases which have been
square bracketed.
3. In the second place, I would prefer the final sentence
of paragraph 4 of the draft letter to read as follows:-
"You have moreover the real authority in these
cases, an authority which he would wish, if the
circumstances so warrant in any particular case,
to be exercised in favour of commutation".
The point is that it is difficult to talk about fulfilment of
the Government's policy when, in fact, Ministers have just
decided that the time is not appropriate to make a change in
our policy concerning the imposition of capital punishment
in the DOTS.
6 March 1978
CONFIDENTIAL
Dom Suis
Ian Sinclair Legal Adviser