TNAG-0487-FCO40-552-Review-of-death-sentence-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 37

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the case coincided with parliamentary discussion on the issue

of capital punishment both in itself and in its application to

Northern Ireland.

B. Capital Punishment in independent countries near

Dependent Territories where death penalty is retained

4.

Excluding Hong Kong, all the dependencies in which the death

penalty is retained are in the Caribbean area. The neighbouring

countries in question are: Grenada and the West Indian Associated

States, and Cuba, Haiti, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Puerto

Rico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Venezuela.

5. We have no accurate information readily available on the

retention of capital punishment in all these countries. We know

that it exists in Guatemala, Columbia, Grenada and in all the

Associated States, and that it has been abolished in Costa Rica.

We believe that it is retained in all or nearly all of the others.

C. Capital Punishment in Commonwealth countries

6.

Only Australia and New Zealand have abolished capital See 44 punishment. Canada has abolished it except in cases of murder of

a Police or Prison Officer. All other members of the Commonwealth

Zambia

have retained it. Kenya, and Nigeria have recently extended it to

include punishment for armed robbery.

D. Retention of Capital Punishment in Dependent Territories

7. The Murder (Abolition of the Death Penalty) Act 1965 which

received The Royal Assent on 8 November 1965, provided for the

abolition of capital punishment of persons convicted in Great

Britain of murder for a period of 5 years. In December 1969, on

a free vote, Parliament resolved that the Act should not expire.

Capital punishment was thus permanently abolished for persons

convicted of murder in Great Britain.

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