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QUEEN ANNE'S GATE LONDON SWIH 9AT
For Lids
TY
June 1991
Thank you for your letter of 15 May about the death penalty for treason and
As you know, following the debate on 17 December the House of Commons rejected on a free vote Peter Archer's New Clause 4 proposing the abolition of the death penalty for treason and piracy by 289 votes to 257. I expressed some sympathy during the debate with the view that the death penalty for piracy should be abolished. However, I also said that this was a somewhat academic question, since the last execution for piracy was in 1830. I explained that to abolish the death penalty for treason would give the wholly erroneous impression that, apart from that change, Parliament was content with the law of treason. I pointed to the Law Commission's Working Paper No 72 of 1977, which concluded that the present statutes dealing with treason should be repealed and that there should be an offence of treason applicable i only during the existence of a state of war. I suggested that what was needed was a complete review of the law relating to treason and the appropriate penalty that would attach to any new provision. This would allow Parliament in due course to consider that whole area of law.
I remain of the view I expressed during the debate, that it would be appropriate for the Law Commission to continue its examination of the law of treason in the context of its work on the codification of the criminal law. Such a review must take its place amongst the Law Commission's other priorities, such as the crimes which are the daily concern of the courts. As I said at our meeting on 19 February, it would be unrealistic to expect an early decision on legislation. But that does not mean that the review of treason is off the Law Commission's agenda.
- منت
1376
David Bull, Esq. Director
Amnesty International 99-119 Rosebery Avenue
12 JUN 199LONDON ECIR 4RE
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Kenn
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