TNAG-0931-FCO40-1149-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1980 — Page 159

Mr Bridgwoodith

WI

Reference

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

I understand Mr Knight Smith of News Department (Room W 21) has posed two questions as follows:

remains

(i)

(ii)

the statute books

When was the last execution in a DT for murder the answer to which is:

Bermuda 1977 when two black men (Burrows and Tacklyn) were executed for the murder of a white shopkeeper.

What is HMG's policy on Capital Punishment in Dependent Territories?

Answer: Seven Dependent Territories

Sev

The death penalty (Belize, Bemada, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands,

Hong Kong Montserrat and Turks and Caicos). The d still retain the death penality. Undoes policy enunciated in 1947 by the then Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr Arthur Creech-Jones, and followed since then by successive British Governments, the Secretary of State does not advise Her Majesty to intervene in capital cases in the dependent territories except in the very rare event that

2

Therefore

use

Capital prinidhomes

2.

J

a miscarriage of justice might otherwise take place. Thor administration of Justice in the dependent territories has long been considered a matter

generaly for local governmot in which it is dot arropriate for the British Government to intervene.

We have promised News Department the replies before lunch-time today.

1. Sowell

CODE 18-77

and advisers

23 July 1980.

riched about prachie

individual cases