TNAG-0487-FCO40-552-Review-of-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 104

2.226.14

香港總督府

LAST

SECRET & PERSONAL

GOVERNMENT HOUSE

HONG KONG

78

KEF.

(72)

Ref.

My dur

-

R**?" No. 51

1974

HIRIYLL

20th April 1974

You're

Many thanks for your letter of 10th April about the death penalty in Hong Kong. Thank you also for the kind remarks in it. I am glad that we have been able to swerve away from this particular precipice.

2.

11

With regard to your paragraph 5 about the balance that must be struck in any answers to PQs, I am quite content with an answer in the terms of your letter, i.e. "The prerogative is delegated to the Governor who exercises it in each case as it arises' But in fairness to me and to members of Executive Council the answer should not say, as suggested in paragraph K of your telegram No. 286, that the 'decision whether to reprieve is taken on the merits of each case as it arises". The inwardness of this distinction will be apparent to you.

11

2674174

3.

I also agree that the right point to make to reassure members of the House, if this is felt necessary, is that no executions have taken place since 1966 and to refuse to be drawn further. Incidentally, I find it difficult to believe that this issue can be of much, if any, interest to the House, unless against the background, as in the case of Tsoi, of a decision to allow the law to take its course.

ソー

Mu

Sir Duncan Watson, KCMG, Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

SECRET & PERSONAL

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