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14 JONFIDENTIAL
36
RY
DOCK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
ction Taken
Mr Stratton
ль
2
(2)
27
Discussed at meeti
on 12 December. Now
see absequent
P.S. to / Pu smant
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
1. The Permanent Under-Secretary has suggested that Ministers
may wish to have an indication of the views of Governors in
considering Mr Quantrill's submission of 24 August and subse-
quent minuting.
2.
We have had a certain amount of correspondence with Governors
Their views can
on this subject over the last few months.
be summarised as follows:-
a) The Creech-Jones doctrine has stood the test of time
and Governors would be content for it to be maintained.
b) Governors should not be required or expected to take
account of UK political considerations in deciding
whether or not to commute death sentences.
c) If Ministers wish to abolish capital punishment in
all the dependent territories which retain it, the
Caribbean Governors believe that the best way to do so
would be by Act of Parliament. They do not consider
that such a course would lead to serious difficulties
with local governments provided there was reasonable
prior consultation. However, the Governor of Hong
Kong believes that the imposition of abolition would
cause very great resentment locally. He would much
prefer the maintenance of the status quo, which he
regards as indefinitely sustainable.
вытрим
R JT McLaren
Hong Kong and General Department
18 October 1979
CONFIDENTIAL
/Paragraph 2(a)