BACKGROUND NOTE
CONFIDENTIAL
1. The abolition of capital punishment in the UK and its
retention of certain of the Dependent Territories (7), has
underlined the question whether to impose abolition in the
dependencies by an Act of Parliament, and damage relations with
the territories by interfering in what would be seen as a local
matter; or to continue to allow those territories that wish to
do so to retain capital punishment. In the latter event, HMG
would come under pressure from the UK abolitionist lobby to
prevent executions; but HMG could not properly do so merely on
the grounds that capital punishment had been abolished in the UK.
2. Ministers were invited earlier this year to consider whether
a change in policy was necessary, and whether abolition should
be imposed from London. They decided in favour of the status quo.
3. Ministers' attention is being drawn to the matter once
again, in view of several murder trials in the Dependent Terri-
tories which will probably give rise to protests from the abolition
lobby, and also to the possibility of civil unrest in the
territory if the sentence is commuted in the face of strong
local objections. Ministers may also be invited to consider
the feasibility of relieving Governors of their responsibility
for exercising the Prerogative of Mercy by various alternative
means, all of which would appear to be open to objection.
CONFIDENTIAL