3. At the same time, however, it was suggested to
the Governor that:
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.
4. Such appointments would be "very exceptional"
and might be more acceptable to the Legal Service
were they made when there were two or more vacancies
only one of which was filled from the Bar. The
Governor accepted this proposal but suggested
delaying the reply to Mr de Basto pending the
issue of a Circular to inform the Service of the
change in policy. Because such a course of action
would alarm members of the Service unnecessarily
we suggested to Hong Kong that the letter to
Mr de Basto should be sent without further delay
and that informal reassurances need not be given
to the Service until such time as an appointment
from the Bar was about to be made. As no reply was
received to our enquiry as to whether Mr de Basto had
been informed as we suggested, reminders were sent
telegraphically on 15 November and by letter to the
Attorney General on/14 December.
eral
15. The Attorney General now explains that Mr de Basto
did not receive a/reply because:
(a) he was/ out of the country between July
and September, and
(b) Mr Litton had succeeded Mr de Basto as
Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association in June 1971.
The present position is that there are now two
6.
petitions en route to the Secretary of State
/concerning..........
F
G
H
I
E
D
C
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN