IN VIEW OF PARLIAMENT'S KNOWN ATTITUDE TOWARDS CAPITAL
PUNI SHMENT, AS SHOWN BY ITS DECISION TO ABOLISH CAPITAL
PUNI SHMENT FOR MURDER IN THIS COUNTRY, SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT
NOT REGARD ITSELF AS OBLIGED TO ENSURE THAT CAPITAL PUNISH-
MENT IS NOT PRACTICED IN ANY BRITISH TERRITORY?
We have
The administration of justice in the dependent territories
is a matter for the governments of those territories.
repeatedly made known to them the views of the British
Government towards capital punishment and invited them to
change their own law accordingly, but under existing policies,
we cannot force them to change if they do not wish to do so.
WHO DECIDES AT PRESENT WHETHER THE ROYAL PREROGATIVE OF MERCY
SHOULD BE EXERCISED IN A CAPITAL CASE IN A DEPENDENT TERRITORY?
The Governor, after taking the advice of his Executive
Council or local Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
WHY WAS THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY ABLE TO
INTERVENE TO PREVENT AN EXECUTION IN HONG KONG IN 1973?
Unlike other dependent territories, where the decision to
retain capital punishment has been taken by democratically
elected local legislatures, Hong Kong has no elected local
government. It was not inconsistent with the general policy
for the Secretary of State to advise HM The Queen to intervene
to prevent an execution taking place there in 1973.
- 2
1
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.