1103, Prince's Building, des Vœux Road, Central, HONG KONG.
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H.Boggis-Rolfe Esqre.,C.B.E., Lord Chancellor's Office, House of Lords,
LONDON.S.W.1.
2nd March, 1970.
Dear Boggis-Rolfe,
Thank you for your letter of 27th February which, for some unaccountable reason, reached me only today.
My position in relation to the information was that I was junior Counsel to Denys Roberts, Q.C. (Attorney General in Hong Kong) instructed by Messrs. Brutton & Stewart on behalf of the Bar Committee, which has right of audience in opposition to Motions for admission. The Attorney General for Hong Kong (Denys Roberts, Q.C.) was also appearing in his official capacity, and was instructed himself. I did in fact ask for the information on behalf of the Bar Committee, but it would nevertheless be communicated to my Learned Leader for use in presenting his own case as well as ours. I know that sounds rather like Alice in Wonderland, but I have only recited the singular position in order to answer your suggestion that the matter was one for the Foreign and Common- wealth Office.
I am asked to convey to you and your staff, the thanks of the Bar Association for the speed and diligence with which you dealt with my request, and the Attorney General has asked me to add his thanks as well.
I took advantage of a long-standing acquaintanceship with Lord Gardiner to address him officially, but it would never have occurred to me ever to have revealed in public or Court the source of my information. I should have considered that a gross breach of friendship and of confidence, unless, of course, I was given express permission to the contrary I say that because of your last paragraph, and I leave it to your discretion to pass on the contents of this - paragraph to the Lord Chancellor if he were under such a terrible impression. I sincerely hope that no such thought ever crossed his mind, but if it did I should be grateful if you would disabuse him thereof.
You
The A.G., for his own Argument had put a request for certain information through the F.C.0. My request was for slightly different information. see we are all aware of the 1963 Ruling, because we had an application some years ago from a Supreme Court Judge and your Department and the Bar Council were of great help to us then. What I asked was on a slightly different level, because it occurred to me that those County Court Judges who did apply in 1963 may have been advised by your Öffice against continuing their application. If they did and I was permitted to know the reasons, I might have been able to incorporate them