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URGENT
Oxford Chancellor's 3 M Burgin Rolfe
1103, Prince's Building, des Vœux Road, Central,
HONG KONG.
23rd February 1970.
The Rt.Hon, the Lord High Chancellor
House of Lords,
Parliament Square,
LONDON.S.W.1.
of England,
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Dear Lord Chancellor,
May I trouble you on a matter of some urgency and ask your assistance in obtaining some information.
As you are probably aware there is pending; before the Supreme Court an Application by a retiring District Court Judge (County Court Judge cum stipendary Chairman of Quarter Sessions) for admission to the Bar. It is being opposed by the Attorney General and by the
I am instructed as Hong Kong Bar Association. Counsel to oppose.
The two questions which your Department may be able to answer are:
(a)
If County Court Judges are now Her Majesty's Judges and are permanently on the Bench, and if they are consequently Judges and not Barristers, how comes it that they are still entitled to retain
It was their rank of Queen's Counsel? just understandable before they became Queen's Judges, but what is the explanation now?
(6) Some 10 to 12 years ago (it may have been
more), two County Court Judges in England applied to be allowed to return to practise at the Bar. Those Applications were refused. May I know the reasons?
If not, Were those reasons made public?
and I am allowed to know them, may I use them in the course of the hearing before the Supreme Court?
the
For reasons that I do not understand, hearing has suddenly been advanced, and will now take place on 2nd March 1970. I should be extremely grateful if you could get somebody to let me have the information I have requested by cable or by telex: the cable to my Chambers or the telex to me c/o the Attorney General. The Hong Kong Bar Association will reimburse your Department in the cost of such cable or telex.
I am,
my Lord Chancellor,
P.9. May! Take this offebating 5 P.4.
wugs you a stage ser feit
your obedient servant,
نيلا
Milaser/p
M.H. JACKSON LIPKIN.