Page 73 - GB Parliamentary and Other Stories

LA

HOME OFFICE
Whitehall, LONDON S.W.1
Telephone: 01-930 8100, ext.
Telex: 24986

~October, 1969.
Our reference: CRl/69 4-31/11/17
Y our reference:

Dear Mr. Morgan,

As you know, your letter of l,.th September to the
Prime Minister about capital punishment has been referred
to this Department for attentiona

The Mw.iier (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965,
which was passed on a free vote by large me.Jori.ties of
both Houses of :Rirliament after careful consideration of
all the issues involved, abolished the death penal ty for
those categories of murder that had remained capital
under the Homicide Act 1957. But to ensure the. t there
should be an opportunity to review the working of this
Act, a provision was inserted restricting its operation
to an initial period of rather less than five years.
This period will expire on 31 st July 1970 and it will
therefore be necessary for Parliament to review the law
governing the penalty for murder by tbs. t date.

As you are aware, however, referenda do not form
part of the constitution of this country.

Yours sincerely•
1.\l~ .

J. H. Me>rgan Esq.
101 The Broadway
HERNE BAY
Kent.

Following the letter to Mr J.H. Morgan from the Prime Minister's Office at 10 Downing Street, Whitehall, dated 10
September 1969, this letter was received in the following month, and dealt with the issue of The Murder (Abolition
of Death Penalty) Act 1965. The abolition became permanent from December 1969.
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