ANNEX A
The Chief Secretary's. Statement on Capital Punishment
in the Legislative Council on 6.11.75
It was apparent to me from the tone of the speeches of in several members that the implementation of the death penalty in Hong Kong is a matter on which they feel deeply. I well under- As a stand the realities of Hong Kong as expressed so forcibly by
members, whose views undoubtedly accurately represent the deeply-held conviction of the great bulk of our population.
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There are differences of attitude, to which the honourable Dr. Chung has referred, between what is acceptable in the United Kingdom and what is acceptable in Hong Kong. These different attitudes may suggest that capital punishment could be a more effective deterrent here than in other places. They definitely do mean that the great majority of the Hong Kong population are convinced that the death penalty would serve as a substantial deterrent to violent crime. It is also the common view that even if it does not deter, then it should be imposed as a measure of the outrage of the community and because it is widely believed that evil conduct should be visited by punishment..
I can assure Members that all these realities are understood. But unfortunately the issue does not end there. Any prisoner sentenced to death in Hong Kong has the right to petition Her Majesty the Queen for clemency. The Queen, in reaching her decision, acts upon the advice of the appropriate United Kingdom Minister, namely the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. In tendering his advice to the Queen the Secretary of State must take into account the
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