– in the House of Commons on 29 July 1931.
Mr Leonard Matters
, Lambeth Kennington
asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies how many persons were sentenced to death in each of the Colonies, Protectorates, and Mandated Territories during each of the years 1924 to 1928; for what offences they were convicted; and how many of such persons were executed?
Dr Thomas Shiels
, Edinburgh East
As the reply is in tabular form, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
| Statement showing (a) Capital Sentences and (b) Executions in the British Colonies not possessing responsible Government, Protectorates and Mandated Territories administered under the Authority of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in respect of the years 1924–1928 inclusive. | ||||||||||||
| — | Offence. | 1924. | 1925. | 1926. | 1927. | 1928. | ||||||
| Capital Sentences. | Executions. | Capital Sentences. | Executions. | Capital Sentences. | Executions. | Capital Sentences. | Executions. | Capital Sentences. | Executions. | |||
| Kenya | Murder | … | 22 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 17 |
| N. Rhodesia* | — | 13 | 2 | 22 | 3 | 38 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 13 | 8 | |
| Nyasaland | Murder | … | 16 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 20 | 15 |
| Somaliland* | — | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | (a) | 1 | (a) | 2 | |
| Tanganyika | Murder | … | (a) | 45 | (a) | 48 | (a) | 49 | (a) | 33 | (a) | 59 |
| Uganda* | — | (a) | 13 | (a) | 18 | (a) | 15 | (a) | 11 | (a) | 7 | |
| Zanzibar | Murder | … | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 1 | Nil |
| Gambia | Murder | … | (a) | 4 | 1 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Gold Coast (including Togoland) under British Mandate. | Murder | … | (a) | 10 | (a) | 8 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 5 | 64 | 23 |
| Nigeria (including Cameroons) under British Mandate. | Murder | … | (a) | 76 | 84 | 77 | 97 | 74 | 98 | 65 | 106 | 75 |
| Sierra Leone | Murder | … | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 3 |
| Basutoland | Murder | … | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Bechuanaland Protectorate | Murder | … | Nil | Nil | 2 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 1 | Nil |
| Swaziland | Murder | … | 5 | Nil | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Rape | … | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 1 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| Cyprus | Murder | … | 8 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 7 |
| Gibraltar | Murder | … | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | (a) | 1 | Nil | Nil |
| Bahamas | Murder | … | Nil | Nil | (a) | 1 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Barbados | Murder | … | 1 | 1 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 1 | Nil | 2 | 1 |
| Jamaica | Murder | … | 8 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Leeward Islands | — | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| Trinidad | Murder | … | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Windward Islands | Murder | … | Nil | Nil | (a) | 1 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Bermuda | — | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| British Guiana | Murder | … | 1 | 1 | Nil | Nil | 2 | Nil | 8 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| British Honduras | Murder | … | (a) | 2 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | (a) | 1 |
| — | Offence. | 1924. | 1925. | 1926. | 1927. | 1928. | ||||||
| Capital Sentences. | Executions. | Capital Sentences. | Executions. | Capital Sentences. | Executions. | Capital Sentences. | Executions. | Capital Sentences. | Executions. | |||
| Ceylon* | — | 63 | 42 | 59 | 34 | 68 | 45 | 54 | 38 | 75 | 45 | |
| Mauritius | Murder | … | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 1 | 1 | Nil | Nil | 3 | 1 |
| Seychelles | Murder | … | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | (a) | 2 |
| Fiji | Murder | … | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Nil | Nil |
| Western Pacific: | ||||||||||||
| British Solomon Islands Protectorate. | Murder | … | 6 | 6 | 1 | Nil | 2 | 1 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 6 |
| Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. | — | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| New Hebrides | No information. | |||||||||||
| Tonga | ||||||||||||
| St. Helena | No returns received. | |||||||||||
| Hong Kong | Murder | … | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Piracy | … | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 15 | 15 | — | — | |
| Straits Settlements | Murder | … | 14 | 9 | 19 | 14 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 7 | 13 | 12 |
| Malay States* | — | (a) | 6 | (a) | 8 | (a) | 5 | (a) | 19 | (a) | 9 | |
| Palestine | Murder | … | (a) | 3 | (a) | n | (a) | 1 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 |
| Falkland Islands | — | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
| * Nature of offence not stated. | ||||||||||||
| (a) No particulars of the total number of capital sentences are available. All Dependencies are required under the Regulations for His Majesty's Colonial Service to submit to the Secretary of State annual returns of capital sentences executed, but these returns do not in all cases indicate the total number of such sentences pronounced. |
