Copy
FROM
RC.
204
/81/022
Sir Leslie Monson
2.
Sir James McPetrie, before he went on leave, discussed with me e minutes of 7th August and 12th August, and asked me to record his ews and forward the papers to you.
Sir James considers that the Governor should be informed that no suitable outside candidate is available for the Chief Justiceship of Hong Kong and therefore an assessment should be made of the comparative merits of Sir Ivo Rigby and Mr. Blair-Kerr and a recommendation submitted to the Secretary of State.
3.
It seems to me that it is too early to make a recommendation and it might be advisable, in the communication to the Governor, to say that the recommendation should be made nearer the time of the departure of Sir Michael Hogan.
4. To date, when the Chief Justice is absent from Hong Kong, Sir Ivo Rigby has acted as Chief Justice but, if Mr. Blair-Kerr is to succeed Sir Michael Hogan as Chief Justice, then it would be somewhat embarrassing if Sir Ivo were to act for a time and then to be replaced by Mr. Blair-Kerr - the solution might be for the appointment of the new Chief Justice to be made on the day following Sir Michael Hogan's departure.
aul fratte Bellew
(A. J. Grattan-Bellew)
14th August, 1969