TNAG-0719-FCO40-917-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 141

Registry

No.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret. Secret.

Confidential.

Restricted.

Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

DRAFT

LETTER

To:-

Edmund M Johnston Esq 2 Eton Street PLYMOUTH

DSR11

Type 1 +

From

Secretary of State

Telephone No. Ext.

Department

...................................................................................In Confidence

I am sorry I have not been able to reply earlier to your letter of 10 December about the executions in Bermuda but I have been away for a short break and wanted to

reply to you personally.

Bermuda has almost complete internal self-government and the administration of justice is an internal matter, under the control of the Bermudian Government. Under the policy which has been accepted for many years by successive British Governments, the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary can only intervene in a particular case of capital punishment if he has grounds to believe there has been a miscarriage

of justice. In the cases of the two convicted murderers. Burrows and Tacklyn, I could find no evidence to suggest that a miscarriage of justice had occurred. The fact that I am a convinced abolitionist was not something I could

take into account.

I do, however consider, as I told the House of Commons on 5 December, that I think the House should

reflect on the underlying issue of principle posed by the retention of the death penalty in dependent territories.

AJID

Dd 108087 400M S&K 1/77