TNAG-0401-FCO40-447-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 92

CONFIDENTIAL

Cayman Islands

Hong Kong (the only British Dependent Territory without

elected unofficial members in the Legislature)

5.

Montserrat

Turks and Caicos Islands

New Hebrides (Condominium with France).

The Governors of these territories all confirmed as

recently as April 1973 that there had been no change in the

attitudes of the Legislatures concerned.

6.

Capital punishment for murder is also still retained in

the 6 West Indian Associated States, where HMG has no consti-

tutional or legislative powers in respect of internal affairs.

II Procedure for the Exercise of the Prerogative of Mercy

7. In 1969 partly as an extension of the request to Govern-

ments of Dependent Territories to consider the abolition of

capital punishment, and partly as a result of difficulties

over a particular petition for mercy from the Bahamas, the then

Secretary of State directed that the entire policy and procedure

for the exercise of the Prerogative of Mercy should be reviewed

in depth.

8. An FCO Committee comprising Sir James McPetrie (Legal

Adviser), Sir Arthur Galsworthy, Mr Rushford (Deputy Legal

Adviser), Mr Morgan (AUSS), and the Heads of Dependent Terri-

tories Geographical Departments deliberated for over a year,

and reviewed all aspects of policy and procedure both in the

Dependent Territories and in the United Kingdom in consultation

/with

CONFIDENTIAL

2