TNAG-0400-FCO40-446-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 179

CONFIDENTIAL

4. Whilst I recognise that a pardor.

would create a short term crisis in

Hong Kong, it would not undermine the

Governor's authority if he was instructed

to "refrain from enforcing the law until

such time as it could be amended'"

(Paragraph 4, telno. 422). Such a

decision would clearly be highly contro-

versial in the Colony but in my view would

in no way make Hong Kong ungovernable.

5. If The Queen is not so udvised

there might be a major Farliamentary

political storm at a time when we are

possibly about to vote for the abolition

of capital punishment in Ulster where there Security

is a grave internal/situa' ion.

€.

Although society and life in Hong Kong

is very different from that in the United

Kingdom, I am personally doubtful whether

the carrying out of this senter.ce would

deter a similar unpremeditated murder taking

place in the course of a fight.

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CONFIDENTIAL

/In