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CHIEF JUSTICE AND COLONIAL SECRETARY, HONG KONG
A. R. RUSHFO
FitARR
143.
1. The Queen has approved the appointment of Mr Justice Briggs.
The way is now clear for the Governor to announce this. Mr Fifgot
has advised, and I agree, that no further formalities are needed
until the formal appointment is made on Sir Ivo Rigby's retirement.
2.
The Secretary of State has also agreed to the appointment of
Mr Roberts as Colonial Secretary, and Mr Roberts has indicated that
he will accept. Gibraltar and General Department, however, advise
that a formal offer should be made in writing to Mr Roberts and
should be accepted in the same way, before there can be any public
announcement.
3. It is obviously desirable that both appointments should be
announced together (since if we announce the Chief Justice's
appointment first this will lead to renewed speculation about the
CS). The timing and form of the announcement are for the Governor
to decide. But he should keep us informed and we should simul-
taneously release the news in London. He will wish to avoid delay,
since Sir Ivo Rigby is due to leave in May.
4.. I submit two draft telegrams. The second of these, containing
the formal offer to Mr Roberts, has been drafted by Gibraltar and
General Department, who concur in this submission as does Mr Fifoot.
Rush COUCHFORD
11.
I
am sorry; the
the telegram;
LACSE
cleared with D. fiboot, has gone. I had AC Stuart
added the last sentence of para 4 as a
result of our cawersation of yesterday.
13 March 1973
cc: Mr Shaw
Mr Fifoot Mr Rushford
de
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department
If you consider
that do to point is sufstantial, I will corect.
But ottervise can we leave it!
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
14/3