PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT A
FM FCC 191145Z
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE.
TOP COPY
TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELNO. 372 OF 19/5.
YOUR DESPATCH NO. CR 1/1749/53 11 OF 31 MARCH.
VACANCIES FOR PUISNE JUDGES.
1.
ARC209/77/04
IT IS FULLY AGREED HERE THAT FOR REASONS SET OUT IN YOUR PARA. 8 JUDGE LI FOOK-SEAN SHOULD BE PROMOTED TO ONE OF THESE VACANCIES. WE ARE HOWEVER MUCH LESS CERTAIN ABOUT PROPOSED PROMOTION OF MORLEY-JONE.
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2. CONS' CANDIDATURE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED ONLY AGAINST THAT OF LEONARD AND LI AND NOT AGAINST THAT OF MORLEY-JOHN. HAVING REGARD TO CONS' CANDIDATURE IS IT NEVERTHELESS CONSIDERED THAT MORLEY-JOHN IS THE BEST CANDIDATE ? OUR QUESTION IS PROMPTED NOT ONLY ON AN EXAMINATION OF THE REPORTS AVAILABLE TO US ON CONS AND PARTICULARLY THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE IN DECEMBER 1969 THAT CONS WAS FIT FOR ACCELERATED PROMOTION BUT ALSO HAVING REGARD TO THE DOUBTS OF THE PREVIOUS CHIEF JUSTICE (DESPATCH NO. 1728 OF 13 DECEMBER 1968 REFERS) AS TO WHETHER MORLEY-JOHN HAD THE QUALITIES FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE SUPREME COURT
BENCH.
3. GRATEFUL THEREFORE FOR AN ASSESSMENT OF MORLEY' JOHN'S CANDIDATURE AGAINST THAT OF CONS INCLUDING IN PARTICULAR VIEWS OF CHIEF JUSTICE ON DOUBTS HELD BY SIR M HOGAN AS TO WHETHER MORLEY-JOHN HAD THE NECESSARY QUALITIES FOR PROMOTION.
DOUGLAS-HOME
FILES:
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HEGAL ADVISERS SIR D. MONSON IR. ILFORD
COPY TO:
MR. GREENLAND, CDA,
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