TNAG-2084-FCO40-2969-Death-penalty-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 148

Dependent Territories with the minimum of controversy

bot there and in the UK, the use of the Criminal Justice

Bill would seem to be the best instrument.

Earlier

efforts to make an advance in this matter have fallen

foul of attempts to so judge the timing that nothing we

do in the UK would be seen to pre-empt a capital case

awaiting trial in a Dependent Territory. Given the

difficult cases which we have before us, and the

reasonable assumption that more will follow, there is no

ideal moment to take action without a ripple effect upon

some case under trial. So now is as good a time as any

to make the effort.

9. Practices elsewhere. Most of the independent

Caribbean countries are retentionist in principle, but

practice varies markedly.

The worst case is that of

Jamaica where 248 were on Death Row (as at end of May)

with the last execution having taken place there in

February 1988. The existance of capital punishment in

that country has not proved the deterrent some would

claim for it. Although our Dependent Territories must be

seen in a Caribbean context, each one has a different

society and its own values, and it would not be helpful

for us to make a decision of principle by paying too much.

attention to unsatisfactory practices prevailing in the

independent Commonwealth countries of the region.

10. Hong Kong. The department have not proposed the

inclusion of Hong Kong in this exercise.

D