TNAG-0719-FCO40-917-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 30

CONFIDENTIAL

MEMORANDUM

CABINET

MINISTERIAL GROUP ON CAPITALPPUNISHMENT IN THE DEPENDENT OVERSEAS TERRITORIES

MEMORANDUM BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

1.

In GEN 103 on 13 October we agreed on the desirability of a change in policy concerning capital punishment in the dependent overseas territories but decided that change while the Bermuda case was outstanding might be disadvantag-

eous.

Flag B

Flag C

2. In the event I felt that I had no alternative but to

advise The Queen not to intervene in the Bermuda case and

the executions took place on 2 December 1977. They were followed by public disturbances in Bermuda and we had to send troop reinforcements from Britain. The executions aroused considerable parliamentary, press and public interest here and we are now committed to a debate in the

House on this question by Michael Foot's statement on 8 December and to a lesser extent by my statement of 5 December.

3. I have again given consideration to ways in which our policy could be changed to have this desired effect. I have thought about making a personal appeal either to the local legislatures or to the Premiers to introduce their

own legislation to abolish capital punishment. Such a course would probably prove disadvantagous. Most of the governments, if not all, would reject such an appeal and if they did so this would make it very difficult for us

CONFI DENTI AL

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