TNAG-0720-FCO40-918-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 99

HKC 386/1

RECEIVE

20 JAN 1978

DESK OFFIock

0.51

89

нкай

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY Action Taken

20 JAN 1978

No

ве

ве

50

Thank you for your letter of 7 January about the resolution

passed at your GMC meeting concerning the executions in Bermuda.

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, Erskine Burrows and Larry Tacklyn, I could

find no such evidence.

I enclose a copy of my statement in the House of Commons on

5 December. As I said then, I think the House should reflect on

the underlying issue of principle posed by the retention of the

death penalty in dependent territories. This is something which

the Government are also looking at very closely.

(DAVID OWEN)

A J Dean Esq