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Yer / CONFIDENTIAL felt Capitanishmat
27/4
My Paul fi
Am I right in thinking
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18/27/9
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QUEEN ANNE'S GATE LONDON SWIH 9AT
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PS | Mr Garel-Jones
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PS | Mr Lennox - Boyd UND
Mr McLaren
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DEPENDENT TERRITORIES: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
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PPD
PRU
Special Adviseis
SAK
I have seen a copy of Douglas Hurd's minute of 19 September.
I think that the introduction of legislation which extended abolition would only serve to point out the divisions which exist among colleagues and at large on the whole question of capital punishment. These divisions prevent us from introducing government legislation restoring capital punishment for murder and, by the same token, should, in my view, stop us from introducing legislation to extend abolition. Orders in Council for the Caribbean dependent territories would not be as embarrassing as primary legislation but it would still signal acceptance for all time that capital punishment would not be restored.
In view of this, my strong preference would be to leave matters alone.
I am copying this to Douglas Hurd and Tim Renton.
Jp
26/9
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The Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Howe QC MP Lord President of the Council
Privy Council Office
Whitehall
LONDON SW1
CONFIDENTIAL