4
Mr Wilford
Sir L Monson
Mr Logan
56
(53) A.
(12) NIKI/30
Bi
34) NKKI4/00
C
MP's LETTER:
PROBLEM
APPOINTMENTS FROM BAR TO BENCH
Mr John Tilney MP has written to Mr Royle enclosing a
letter from a distant relation of his in Hong Kong, Henry
Litton QC, who desires clarification on our policy regarding
appointments to the Supreme and District Court Benches from
the Hong Kong Bar.
ARGUMENT
2.
For some years now a former Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar
Association, Gerald de Basto, has been campaigning vigorously
for promotion to the Bench to be fully open to members of the
Bar instead of only to members of the Government Legal Service
and the occasional officer transferred from the Service of
another Dependent Territory. In suggesting a reply from the
Governor to Mr de Basto's latest letter of 7 May 1970 we went
no further than saying:
3.
the Secretary of State cannot give any undertaking
as to how future vacancies on the Supreme Court Bench
will be filled, but that the views of the Hong Kong Bar
Association will be kept in mind".
At the same time, however, it was suggested to the
Governor that:
11
even when there was a Service Candidate suitable
for promotion to the Bench it might occasionally be
desirable to advance someone from the Hong Kong Bar
who had had extensive experience of private practice".
14.