TNAG-0603-FCO40-751-Capital-punishment-in-Dependent-Territories-1977 — Page 120

HKG 3867

RECEIVED

CONFIDENTIAL

Mr Stewart. Hong Kong and General Dept

W Quetull In Jasper,

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

328

I wanted like

to discus asap

1. You are I understand preparing follow-up action in the

>

light of yesterday's discussions in the House of Commons.

may already have the following in mind, but if not please

consider:

-

You

a. A further circular to Governors of the remaining colonies

who still retain the death penalty urging that local

governments once again reconsider the abolition of the

death penalty in the light of discussions in the House

yesterday.

b.

TRY NO. 51 12 DEC 1977

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

Yes

PA

Huac25/1,

*

Instructions to Governors in the light of a. above that

shall need to consider very carefully the local security

implications before allowing any death sentences to be

darried out.

Ministers will clearly be most reluctant

REGISTR be faced again with what happened in Bermuda. The

Action Taken

2.

всё

law as specified in Bermuda was carried out but we had to

pick up the pieces following actions over which we had

no control.

I also think that we need to reconsider in the light of

all this our current policies on decolonisation. c Responsibility

without power is surely the first thing we should try to avoid.

How far have we already gone in granting internal self

government without retaining the power to veto actions which

could affect internal security for which we retain

responsibility? In the Turks and Caicos we have prevented

the Casino going ahead until appropriate gaming laws have

been passed on grounds of our responsibility for internal

CONFIDENT I AL

/security

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