TNAG-0680-FCO40-829-Review-of-death-sentences-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 5

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his telegram number 32, the majority of Bermudians would

support a decision to let the executions proceed and there is unlikely to be the sort of confrontation that would attract public or parliamentary interest in Britain.

Given this

3. In my submission of 19 October I explained the different constitutional positions in Bermuda and Hong Kong. difference, I think that after the executions take place in Bermuda the Governor of Hong Kong may find it somewhat more difficult

to maintain the policy he has pursued since 1973 of commuting the death sentence in every case.. However we can face this problem

if and when it comes: it is no bar to a decision on the Bermuda

case.

4.

The summing-up of the last meeting of GEN 103 does not strictly oblige the Secretary of State to go back to his colleagues. However he will presumably wish to keep them informed, particularly in the light of the Prime Minister's comment.

5.

Accordingly I recommend that the Secretary of State should write to the Prime Minister and his colleagues informing them of his intention to let the law take its course and that he should now forward the petition to The Queen with advice that she should not intervene in this matter.

drafts.

The Legal Adviser concurs.

I submit three

1 November 1977

DF Murray

CONFIDENTIAL