CONFIDENTIAL
FM GRAND TURK
TO DESKBY 220800Z FCO
TELNO 166
OF 211912Z JULY 88
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
HO
44215/18
5JA
076410 MDHIAN 8054
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR DRUG OFFENCES
1.
FURTHER TO OUR TELECON BRADLEY/CAMBRIDGE OF 20223OZ THIS IS BRIEFLY TO RECORD MY VERBAL REPORT.
ON
2.
THE LAST ITEM FOR DISCUSSION AT EXCO ON 20 JULY WAS THE DRAFT AGENDA FOR THE LEGCO MEETING NEXT TUESDAY 26 JULY. THE ORDER PAPER ONE OF THE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION IN RESPECT IS THE CONTROL OF DRUGS (TRAFFICKING) BILL 1988. OF THIS BILL THERE HAVE BEEN TWO PREVIOUS UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS TO HAVE IT PASSED THIS YEAR.
3. THE CM THEN MENTIONED THAT IT WAS THE INTENTION OF HIS BACKBENCHERS TO MOVE A COMMITTEE STAGE AMENDMENT PROVIDING THAT A SENTENCE OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT WOULD BE IMPOSED FOR SERIOUS DRUG OFFENCES AND THAT HE AND THE OTHER MINISTERS SUPPORTED SUCH PROPOSED AMENDMENT 99.9%. A LONG DISCUSSION ENSUED DURING WHICH THE AG ATTEMPTED TO POINT OUT THAT THE PRESENT BILL (WHICH MEMBERS DESPITE NUMEROUS EXPLANATIONS DO NOT FULLY UNDER- STAND DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF ITS LANGUAGE) WAS NOT A SUITABLE VEHICLE TO USE TO INTRODUCE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR DRUG OFFENCES BUT THAT THE 1976 MISUSE OF DRUGS ORDINANCE WAS THE APPROPRIATE
WERE MADE. HE WENT ON LEGISLATION IF SUCH A POLINY DECISION
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TO RAISE AS A LAWYER A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY SUCH DRACONIAN PROVISIONS SHOULD NOT BE INTRODUCED. I MYSELF SOUGHT AS STRENUOUSLY AS POSSIBLE TO PERSUADE MINISTERS NOT TO PERMIT THEIR BACK- BENCHERS OR THEMSELVES TO PROCEED WITH SUCH AN AMENDMENT EITHER AT THIS TIME OR TO THIS BILL. I POINTED OUT A WIDE RANGING LIST OF OBJECTIONS AND DIFFICULTIES INCLUDING THE UNDESIRABILITY OF RUSHED AND ILL-CONSIDERED LEGISLATION, THE INAPPROPRIATENESS
THE FACT THAT OF SUCH AN AMENDMENT TO THE PRESENT LEGISLATION, SPECIFIC OFFENCES AND OCCASIONS FOR SUCH PENALTY HAD NOT BEEN CAREFULLY CONSIDERED, THE DEEP CONCERN IT WOULD CAUSE HMG, THE FACT THAT I BELIEVED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO, UNDER ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS, DEFER MY ASSENT PENDING REFERRAL TO A SECRETARY OF STATE, THE UNWELCOME WORLD-WIDE ATTENTION TCI WOULD RECEIVE FROM SUCH BODIES AS AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS, THAT SINGAPORE WAS THE ONLY OTHER NATION IN THE WORLD TO HAVE SUCH A MEASURE AND THE HOSTILE PUBLICITY THAT IT HAD RECEIVED AND THAT EVEN THE US HAD NEVER SOUGHT, DESPITE ITS PROBLEMS,
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