TNAG-0400-FCO40-446-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 142

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DEATH SENTEL.CE 11. DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

1.

Dependent Territory Governments were invited to

consider the abolition of the death penalty in 1970

under the last Administration. This was at the time

when permanent legislation was enacted providing for

the abolition of capital punishment in the UK. They

had previously been invited to consider the question

in 1965 following the enactment of UK legislation

for a trial period of abolition.

2.

The response showed that there was a strong current

of local opinion in favour of retaining the death

penalty in all the Caribbean dependencies and also

in Hong Kong and Seychelles. In general there is no

reason to suppose that these attitudes have changed

materially over the last 3 years. On the other hand

in certain territories where public opinion on the issu

ran less strongly the progressive steps taken in this

country for the final abolition of the death penalty

have resulted in their following the UK lead and

adopting abolition legislation. The following

paragraph sets out the present position in detail.

3. The death penalty has been abolished in six of the

17 Dependent Territories the British Solomon Islands

Protectorate, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, the

Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, Fitcairn, St Helers

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