1.
The last execution in Hong Kong took place in 1966.
Since that time the Governor has commuted 97 death sentences,
78 of these within the period covered by this Question.
2. In addition, one death sentence was commuted by HM
The Queen on the advice of the Secretary of State. This
case arose in 1973 at a time when Parliament was debating the
question of capital punishment in Northern Ireland and the then Foreign Secretary (Sir Alec Douglas Home) considered
that the debate could have been influenced by an execution
in a colony. The normal policy on capital punishment in
dependent territories, the so-called Creech Jones doctrine,
is that the Secretary of State does not advise The Queen to
act contrary to a Governor's advice, except in the event of
his believing that a miscarriage of justice might otherwise
occur. But it was considered that it was not inconsistent
with this policy for The Queen to intervene in Hong Kong
because Hong Kong is the only Dependent Territory affected
where the retention of capital punishment has not been
endorsed by an elected local legislature.
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