TNAG-0400-FCO40-446-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 56

Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1

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Mr J Little

70 Novers Park Road

BRISTOL 4

Telephone 01-

Your reference

Our reference HKK 14/16

Date 10 May 1973

(110

Thank you for your letter of 6 May, addressed to the Minister responsible for Hong Kong, about the death sentence passed in Hong Kong on Mr Tsoi Kwok-cheong. We understand the concern of your organisation.

The death penalty still exists under Hong Kong law. I confirm that the last time a death sentence was carried out in Hong Kong was in 1966.

Mr Tsoi was convicted of murder in the course of a gang robbery and his appeal was dismissed by the Full Court of Hong Kong. The Royal Prerogative of Mercy is delegated to the Governor under the Constitution After taking the advice of his Executive Council and fully considering all the facts of this case, he decided that the law should take its course.

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Unless there has been an obvious miscarriage of justice it would be unusual for the authorities in this country to intervene in a matter where the effective exercise of legislative and prerogative powers lies in Hong Kong. Nevertheless, Mr Tsoi has now pet- itioned The Queen for the exercise of her residual Prerogative of Mercy. As you will appreciate, we cannot comment at this stage on Her Majesty's eventual decision.

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P M Kelly (Miss)

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept

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Pork

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