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REG
HKG 380/2 (16
11 AUG 1980
A f
学
Mr Harding
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
INDEX
PARE?
1-
See 17
1. You may wish to be aware of the decision which Ministers reached in February of this year not to make any change in our policy of following the "Creech Jones Doctrine" when dealing with capital punishment cases in the dependent territories. As you know, we consider the administration of justice in the dependent territories to be a matter for local government in which it is not appropriate for the British Government to intervene. This has the effect of delegating the exercise of the Crown's prerogative of mercy to Governors.
2. We have several outstanding cases in the dependencies, as follows:
BELIZE
Absolom Neal Cowo:
Hector Williams:
Ellis Tiabo:
Cecil Gordon/ William Ifield
Ruben Anthony
Castillo:
Sentenced to death for murder on second re-trial
Sentenced to death for murder
Sentenced to death for murder
Sentenced to death for murder
Sentenced to death for murder
Case may be referred to next local Court of Appeal September/ October
Sentence quashed and re-trial ordered
Sentence quashed and re-trial ordered
Report has just been received that verdict of manslaughter (7 years hard labour) substituted for murder
Appeal will probably be heard at next Court of Appeal September/ October
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
The case of Stevens comes up for trial in October and, as local sentiments are strongly in favour of the retention of capital punishment, the Governor is very worried about his ultimate respon- sibility in that, whichever decision he takes (either to commute to life imprisonment or to accept the local Mercy Committee's recommend- dation to execute should they refuse an appeal), he is in the "hot seat" and there is bound to be trouble either way. The Governor is coming to London later in the summer and WIAD and I will discuss the matter with him.
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/FALKLAND ISLANDS
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