TNAG-0719-FCO40-917-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 105

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CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

1.

DSR11

Capital punishment in dependent territories was discussed in the Cabinet Committee (GEN 103 on 13 October.

Ministers

then concluded that, while it was desirable to change the present policy, there could be disadvantage in making the change when a particular case, that of the Bermuda murderers,

was under consideration. The Bermuda case reached its

conclusion with the executions on 2 December. These were followed by publicisturbances in Bermuda. In Britain the executions also abused much public and parliamentary interest in the furrent government policy towards capital punishment in the dependent territories. This led the Leader of the House of Commons to state that after the

recess the House would be given an opportunity to consider the policy in its general context. The Secretary of State has said that he would like to submit a paper soon to his colleagues in GEN 103 suggesting how to achieve the required change of policy.

2.

The Bermuda case has underlined the need to change quickly the present policy. The options remain as set out in the paper GEN 99(77)4 that was considered by GEN 103 on 13 October. We considered whether to use the example

of the disturbances in Bermuda as an argument to try to persuade the legislatures in those territories still retaining

But

the death penalty to introduce their own legislation. it is unlikely that many of them would have found the argument convincing, and there was a danger that if we thus

led them to make a renewed affirmation of their desire to

retain capital punishment, it would make it that much more difficult for us thereafter to change the policy by action

in London.

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