TNAG-0604-FCO40-752-Capital-punishment-in-Dependent-Territories-1977 — Page 25

From: Arthur Latham, M.P.

cc: The Rt. Hon. James Callaghan, M.P. Prime Minister.

The Rt. Hon. David Owen, M.P., Foreign Secretary

Hol

23 December, 1977

Mr.J..Sutton, PO Box 600, Devonshire 4, Sermuda.

нка 3861

RECEIVED -

30DEC 1977

DESK OFF INDEX

No

5.51

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tion Taken

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Dear Mr. Sutton,

I felt

I was most interested to receive your letter. very sick about the hangings at the time and since.

A number of us approached both the British Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister but they were both certain that there could be no intervention unless they were satisfied that there was a miscarriage of justice. In particular, the Prime Minister quoted action he took when he was Foreign Secretary in 1975 writing to all dependencies encouraging them to abolish the death penalty. It was pointed out that in Jermuda this advice had not been taken. However, tragically after two men have been haned and others have been injured and died in the resulting reaction there is now an intention to reconsider the relationship with the British overnment in these matters. This, I under- stand will be far ranging, will go beyond the Uermudan question and will be examined outside the context of any particular conventionser cares.

Returning to the specific, it was made quite clear that the Governor of bermuda is advised by a Committee whether a reprieve should be granted and the Governor acted on the advice given to him. The request to the Queen was over and above this, as I understand it, and the British rrime Minister and Foreign Secretary insist that there were no grounds on which they could have acted. Both