CONFIDENTIAL
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Mr Ridley
Secretary of State
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1.
PS/LPS PS/Mr Hurd PS/Mr Luce PS/Mr Blaker
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
The attached submission from HKGD outlines possible prob-
lems which may occur over the exercise of capital punishment
in the dependent territories.
2. The issues were reviewed earlier this year;
you decided
to hphold the status quo. Briefly, HMG are faced with the
dilemma of whether to allow certain dependent territories to
continue their present policy of retaining capital punishment
for murder, which differs with UK policy, and risk subjecting
themselves to pressure from national and local abolitionists;
or whether to overrule the local Legislatures by abolishing
capital punishment from London, so jeopardising our relations
with the territories concerned. I do not believe that the
situation has changed since February or that any change in
policy is justified.
3. The issue has, however, come to the fore again, particu-
larly in the British Virgin Islands where the Governor is
concerned at having to take a decision on whether to commute
or not. The feeling in favour of capital punishment runs
very high in those territories which retain it; the possi-
bility of civil disturbance exists, particularly if the
sentence is commuted by the Governor in controversial
/circumstances
CONFIDENTIAL