TNAG-0837-FCO40-1045-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1981 — Page 3

CODE 18-77

LAST PAPER

(20)

Reference...

CONFIDENTIAL

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

1. A meeting was held by the PUS on 12 November, attended by Mr Cortazzi, Mr Stratton, Mr Holmes (WIAD), Mr Hendry (Legal Advisers, deputising for Mr Rushford) and myself, to discuss

my submission of 24 August and Mr McLaren's subsequent submission of 18 October on the above subject.

2. It was decided that Ministers should not be asked to consider this question while they remain preoccupied with Rhodesia, and the problems of Europe. We agreed therefore that we should prepare a new submission in the second half of December. It would take basically the same line, but the PUS would like to see a fairly short covering submission, with most of the background relegated to a separate memorandum (which could contain rather more detail than the previous submissions, including accounts of the recent cases in Bermuda and the BVI). Although the submission might still leave the various options open, it should steer Ministers in the direction of maintaining the present policy of non- intervention, while encouraging Governors to make all possible efforts to avoid further executions.

3 December 1979

for

W E Quantrill

Hong Kong and General Department

Submission drifted and sent to Legal Adviser

for comment.

*2"

CONFIDENTIAL

нка 380/2

2 J JUL 1981

+