TNAG-0723-FCO40-921-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 16

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

SECRET

Top copy

copy on

HICC 386/3

SECRET AND PERSONAL

FM HAMILTON 241423Z NOV 78

TO PRIORITY FCO

IhQuantui

Pl. speak. we muur.

295

sublucha reply As soon as

possible

386/1

RY NO. 51

27 NOV 1978

DISK OFFICER INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Takon

ва 127/1

TELEGRAM NUMBER PERSONAL 76 OF 24 NOVEMBER.

HKG

RECE

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

FOR CORTAZZI.

No

83121

а

1. I LEARNED, RECENTLY, THAT THE SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE BERMUDA LEGISLATURE, APPOINTED EARLIER THIS YEAR TO CONSIDER THE LOCAL LAW ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, EXPECTED

(A) TO REPORT SOMETIME BEFORE CHRISTMAS a

(B) TO RECOMMEND, BY A MAJORITY, THAT THE DEALTH PENALTY DE

RETAINED FOR CERTAIN SORTS OF MURDER (POSSIBLY INCLUDING MURDERS COMMITTED IN THE COURSE OF RAPES):

(C) TO APPEND SEVERAL DIFFERENT MINORITY REPORTS,

2. IN VIEW OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOME PEOPLE HERE MAY TAKE ACTION TO MARK THE 2 DECEMBER ANNIVERSARY OF LAST YEAR'S HANGINGS, AND OF APPREHENSION LEST ANY SUCH ACTION MAY LEAD TO DISORDER WE HAVE PERSUADED THE SELECT COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN NOT (NOT) TO REPORT BEFORE THAT DATE. WE OBVIOUSLY DO NOT WANT TO PROVIDE POTENTIAL TROUBLEMAKERS WITH A PEG TO HANG THEIR PROTESTS ON AT

A SENSITIVE MOMENT.

3.

·

NEVERTHELESS, THE REPORT WILL HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED LATER THIS YEAR GR EARLY NEXT. WE SHOULD BE UNWISE TO HOPE THAT THE LEGIS- LATURE WILL REJECT THE MAJORITY RECOMMENDATION. WE MUST, THEREFORE, ASSUME THAT THE DEATH PENALTY WILL BE RETAINED HERE FOR THE

FORESEEABLE FUTURE, EVEN IF

SECRET

/(A) ITS SCOPE

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