TNAG-0931-FCO40-1149-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1980 — Page 167

HEG 380/2

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

Sir Murray MacLehose GBE KCMG KCVO Governor and Commander-in-Chief HONG KONG

3 April 1980

HKG

380/2

BY

RY HO. 51

- 8 APR 1980

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

REGISTRY Action Taken:

no

nyz

29

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

1. Thank you for your letter of 21 March. I am very sorry that by sending a circular letter without any gloss I gave you a misleading picture of the latest Ministerial decision. As you suppose, there is indeed no wish by Ministers that the Creech Jones doctrine should be re-applied to Hong Kong. The decision to let sleeping dogs lie applied to the position as a whole. In other words, Creech Jones continues to operate in the other territories and the position in Hong Kong remains as before.

2. The Hong Kong considerations were indeed a very important part of the argument that no change should be made and that no steps should be taken either to oblige Dependent Territories to abolish capital punishment in law or to enact legislation to this effect in Westminster.

3. Finally, we fully take your point that no publicity should be given to the decision.

RD Clift

Hong Kong and General Department

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

;