TNAG-0931-FCO40-1149-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1980 — Page 183

CONFIDENTIAL

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(see paragraph 13 of the Memorandum) that in exercising the Crown's prerogative of mercy "governors act in their own deliberate judgment". It would also, in territories where public opinion is strongly in favour of capital punishment, place them in an impossibly individious position with their Ministers and legislatures, who would inevitably come to know that they had been subject to informal pressure from London. I still consider therefore that, if we are to "Let sleeping dogs Lie", we should do just this without any stage whispers to Governors about what would suit us best.

Krii Shatton

RJ Stratton

29 January 1980

I favour "letting sleeping dogs lie but we must watch carefully individual cases in colonies which retain Expital punishment. Owe responsibility for internal security may force us to intowere. We don't want a repetition of the Bermuda affair.

30/1/80

delicar

As the

paper

shows,

This is an excessiv

and

tricky question. The temptation not to wake the sleeping dogs is then for very grear. But the, can

be

waken at any

türe by

a mosty wonder (as agr) and that can produc explosion politicone problem her an in the

in Bermunda 3 year

an

слоту)

CONFIDENTIAL