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(145181) Dd. 737490 750M 1/71 Hw.
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Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
DRAFT
MINUTE
Type 1 +
To:-
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
PRIME MINISTER
Restricted. Unclassified,
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
From
Secretary of State
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
X
X
X
π
A pensioner who lately committed murder in
Hong Kong was sentenced to death by the Court and
his appeal dismissed. After receiving the advice
of the Executive Council (with no dissent but two
abstentions) the Governor has ordered that the law
should take its course. He has not yet made public
a date for the execution.
ri
The pensioner has now petitioned The Queen For
mercy and it falls to me to advise iler Majesty
clemency whether there are any grounds for paréen or whether
the Governor's decision should stand.
My legal advice is that under rules laid down i
m 1447
Mr. Creech-Jones/and endorsed by me after we took office, unless there has been a miscarriage of
justice or new material, the Secretary of Stat
normally advise that Her Majesty should not intery
against the Governor's decision. I would so net
take the responsibility but for the recent debce a
the House of Commons and for the fact that we int
to remove the death penalty from the law of Norther..
The carrying out of an execution, the riro
Ireland.
in Hong Kong since 1966 would be in sharp contrast
to what is being said and done here.
CONFIDENTIAL
The Governor/
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