PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
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4.
I appreciate that there must be many other considerations and difficulties at your end but, from my point of view, it would be best if it could be allowed slowly to dawn on the local populace that, whatever happens in the present appeal, there will in fact be no execution (assuming this to be HMG's intention). We may well still have trouble (and perhaps serious trouble) but I do think it would be less serious if there could be some public announcement of HMG's intentions prior to the hearing of the appeal here on 11 January. It would not be necessary, I suggest, for any Bill to abolish capital punishment to have passed the UK Parliament, or any Order- in-Council actually made, before that date. An announcement would be sufficient for me to let it be known, gradually and carefully, that its effect is that there would have to be commutation in all pending cases, whether in the BVI or any other dependent territory. Advance warning of any such announcement or other overt action would of course be most helpful, especially as the Chief of Police, Mr Rex Jones, will be on leave in the UK from mid-November to 12 January and may have to be recalled.
5. I am sending a copy of this letter to John Stewart in Hong Kong and General Department and trust that either you or he will keep me as fully informed as possible of developments at your end so that I can do what I can, if anything, to minimise the risk of trouble here.
Copy to:
J A B Stewart Esq OBE Hong Kong and General Dept BCO
W W Wallace
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
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