3
29 Sept.
142
5 October
CONFIDENTIAL
of Bermudians thought that in this case the law should take its course, and therefore there would be no political
advantage to be gained. They probably also believed that a petition would have no chance of success and "I cannot very well explain to them that it would in fact succeed".
The Governor wrote to Mr. Rowlands (shortly before the Premier was to call on the Minister). He reported that a PLP petition to The Queen to reprieve Tacklyn and Burrows had been handed to him that morning.
He went on: "Gibbons knows this but he does not know that it is almost certain to be granted.
You may decide that he should be briefed about the Secretary of State's proposals for the de facto abolition of capital punishment."
Also on 29 September the Deputy Governor wrote to Mr. Stewart forwarding the PLP petition to The Queen, and saying that presumably nothing further would be needed from Bermuda i.e. he, as Acting Governor, having announced on 2 May the confirmation of the sentences, it would be unnecessary for the new Governor to take a view or to become involved in any way 7.
The Premier saw Mr. Rowlands in London. Paragraph 15 of the record of the meeting states only that Mr. Rowlands reminded Mr. Gibbons that capital punishment had been abolished in the UK and that any carrying out of the death penalty in
Dependent Territories would cause embarrassment to the British Government. However, Mr. Gibbons subsequently told the Governor that he was convinced at the time that the Minister was hinting that Burrows and Tacklyn would be reprieved.
6 October The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council refused leave to
appeal.
^
result JGEN 103 mila 76EN
J
13 Det
20 October The Governor received FCO telegram Personal No. 33 reading as
follows:
"For Governor's Eyes only.
Capital Punishment.
1. Now that the Advisory Committee of the Privy Council has refused Tacklyn's application for leave to appeal, I have to consider whether there are any further grounds for advising The Queen that the law should not take its course.
this affair it
2. In all the circumstances surrounding would not be right for me to advise The Queen without asking you to review the case, in consultation if necessary with your Advisory Committee, with a view to considering whether there are grounds for you to reverse the Acting Governor's decision that the law should take its course. A further point is that I must ask formally for your views on the advice I should give The Queen in reply to the petition forwarded under cover of Lloyd's letter of 29 September. I do not wish to submit any views on this matter until you have reviewed the position.
13.
CONFIDENTIAL
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