asked the Lord Privy Seal in which British colonies the death penalty for murderers is still in force; how many people are awaiting sentence or trial in each colony; and what are the powers of the British Government and Privy Council in these cases.
The information is as follows:(
a) Belize
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Hong Kong
Montserrat
Turks and Caicos Islands
( b) In Belize three men have been sentenced to death for murder and a fourth has been similarly sentenced on second re-trial. Appeal is pending in all four cases. Three men in the British Virgin Islands and one in the Turks and Caicos Islands are held for trial on capital charges.
( c) The exercise of the Crown's prerogative of mercy is delegated to governors, although Her Majesty has a residual power, on the advice of Her Majesty's Government, to exercise the prerogative of mercy. When there has been an appeal to the local court of appeal in a capital case in a dependent territory, a further appeal lies to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. However, this can only be done with special leave, as the committee is not a court of criminal appeal.