TNAG-0601-FCO40-749-Capital-punishment-in-Dependent-Territories-1977 — Page 47

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CONFIDENTIAL

Mr Freeland Mr Duff

cc:

Mr Cortazzi

Mr Stratton

Mr Stephen

Mr Rushford

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN BERMUDA

RE

HKG 380/1

1 1 NOV 1977

DESK 0.

INDEX

7. 51

NISTRY

ction Takı:

Yes Ax &

Soutary of State

Amy King

The

portin

must be hela herë

is

1. The Private Secretary's minute of 28 October recorded

the Secretary of State's acceptance of the position outlined in

Hamilton telegrams numbers 32, 33 and 34: i.e. that the law

must take its course in the matter of the two condemned murderers

in Bermuda. (The Governor's telegrams replied to the Secretary

of State's personal telegram No 33 asking for a final review of

the case in the light of the local petition from Bermuda).

This means that the Secretary of State will need to advise The

Queen that the petition should be rejected;

following which

Sir Peter Ramsbotham will have to be told that the executions

can be carried out.

2. The Secretary of State has said that he does not wish to

provoke a major row in the House of Commons on capital punishment,

but there is clearly going to be a reaction whatever happens in

this case. When the executions go ahead, the abolitionist

lobby will presumably attack the Government forcefully and

emotionally for allowing executions to be carried out in a

British territory. On the other hand if there had been grounds

for advising The Queen that the law should not take its course

there would have been voluble protests in Bermuda, though once

again a minority will protest when the executions are carried

However as the Governor points out in paragraph 3 of

out.

CONFIDENTIAL

/his