TNAG-0404-FCO40-450-Review-of-the-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 11

CONFIDENTIAL

1. I agree with paragraph 3 of Mr Stuart's minute. Our aim

is to avoid confrontation. If the procedure of informal preliminary

discussion in the Executive Council is in the Governor's best

judgment a contribution to this end, then I agree that we will

have to respect that judgment.

2. There are however implications in the Governor's latest

telegram which I find somewhat disturbing. What it seems to

be saying is that some members of the Executive Council wish to

see executions as a means of deterrent and that if there were

other cases of murder in the course of robbery they would wish

to see an exemplary execution of Leung, whatever the merits

or otherwise of the case, as a deterrent to others. If the

debates on the death sentence in western countries have shown

anything, it is that the issues are not as simple as that.

19 December 1973

Copy to: Mr Stuart

Youde