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punishment as a major point of contention in the Territory.
12.
Uniformity of treatment could also be achieved by advising
the Governor of Hong Kong to allow the law to take its course in
any case where no mitigating circumstances existed, on the under-
standing that HMG would not intervene. However, the Governor has
advised that this would create serious difficulties, since no
Once it was capital sentence has been carried out since 1966.
known that the Governor in Council had decided not to commute a
capital sentence the numerically very small but highly articulate
group opposed to hanging in the Territory would organise pressure
on the Governor, the Secretary of State and Parliament.
objectors would probably include both bishops, senior members of
the Bar and Law Society and other pressure groups. In London, this
would appear as a respectable body of opinion. It would be claimed
by MPs and others that support for the death penalty in Hong Kong
was not unanimous. A debate in the House would be almost inevitable
on the first occasion that it became known that the Governor in
Council had decided to let the law take its course in a capital
case.
13.
The
The reapplication of the death penalty in Hong Kong would be
well received by the majority of the population and in the short-
term might be seen as a sign that HMG were prepared to listen to
public opinion in Hong Kong. However, if a debate in Parliament
were subsequently to create such pressure upon HMG that they felt
obliged to reverse the Governor's decision, the eventual damage
to relations between London and Hong Kong would be much greater.
The Governor's strong recommendation is therefore that the
present policy should continue.
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