§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, given the length of time since this was last discussed, they will place on the agenda for future meetings of the Law Ministers of the Commonwealth the question of capital punishment. [HL3359]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos)We would welcome a discussion of capital punishment at Commonwealth Law Ministers meetings should the occasion arise. But we do not plan to place this issue on the agenda. My right honourable friends firmly reiterate Her Majesty's Government's opposition to the death penalty and urge states to abolish capital punishment in a range of forums, including at the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva in April this year. It is important, however, to get the message across at the right time and at the right level. Commonwealth Law Ministers meetings consider the development of law in areas where a political consensus already exists across the Commonwealth. This is not yet the case among Commonwealth countries on the issue of capital punishment.