CONFIDENTIAL & PERSONAL
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Scoret.
Secret.
DRAFT letter
To:-
His Excellency,
Confidential. Personal Sir David Trench, G.C.M.G,
Restricted.
Launclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
M.C.,
Government House, HONG KONG.
Type 1 +
9
From W. S. Carter
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
..In Confidence
and indeed i`urni)
The chefecult even To request this
Since
constat festiw
John Moreton has laid down his responsibili-
ties for Hong Kong and I am therefore writing
about a matter which was discussed with you when
he was in Hong Kong namely, the appointment of
Sir Michael Hogan's successor as Chief Justice.
I understand that one of the possibilities mentioned
discussed was the "secondment" (for want of a
better term), of an English judge to act as Chief
be ave
informed that
Justice. Sir James M¿Petrie thinks there is
почитане по
57. obferining the
little/ chance of the Lord Chancellor agreeing to
Serving release a, judge for this purpose in view of the
aj
pressure of work in the courts here, particularly since we could not maintain that it was impossible
to fill the post from the local Bench. Another
possibility to which some consideration was given
was the appointment of a Q.C. from the English
thush Bars, but we gather that such an appointment might be opposed within the judicial service.
An appointment on the lines of either of
these proposals would probably take a consider-
able time to arrange; /indeed it might even now be
too late to secure a suitable English Q.C. before.
the end of the year It is therefore suggested
that you let us have your recommendation as soon
as possible and in any case not less than two
months before Sir/Michael's retirement.
W(B)L 51-74 33
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CONFIDENTIAL & PERSONAL