TNAG-0402-FCO40-448-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 75

(17260) Dd.897459 400m 12/72_G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863

(16940) Dd.897300 400m 9/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863

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CONFIDENTIAL

HKK

Registry No.

| SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

14/16

DRAFT Letter

Type 1 +

FROM

To:-

Top Secret.

Sir Murray MacLehose KCMG

Sir Duncan Watson

Secret.

Confidential.

Restricted. Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

MBE

Telephone No. Ext.

Governor Hong Kong

Department

(S) Flay D

-In Confidence

Ministers have now given further careful

consideration to the question of the death penalty

in Hong Kong, following the reprieve of Tsoi. They

have agreed to take no steps to abolish the death

penalty in Hong Kong against your clear advice and the apparently strong desire of the people of Hong

Kong that it be retained.

They stressed, however, that great care should

continue to be taken in Hong Kong in considering

reprieves.

of violence.

Reference had been made to the growth

It was not lear whether there had

been a growth of capital crimes, and Ministers asked

that detailed figures of such crimes should be

obtained. They also asked for an analysis of the

grounds on which reprieves had been granted locally

in Hong Kong in recent years. This would be useful

in considering any cases which might in future be

the subject of petitions to the queen.

}

I would be very grateful if these analyses could

be put in hand as soon as possible. I suggest that

the appropriate base year would be 1966.

On the

crime figures, perhaps you could bring up-to-date

and expand, as necessary, the taple enclosed with

your letter to re of 8 March-1973.

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