Mr Rushford
Sir Vincent Evans
Sir D Watson
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
Flag A
Flag B
APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF JUSTICE, HONG KONG
1. We have now received the letter from the Chairman of the
Hong Kong Bar Association and the President of the Hong Kong
Law Society, which was promised in their earlier telegram and
in which they explain their reasons for proposing that Sir Ivo
Rigby's term of office should be extended.
2. I do not think that the arguments in this letter invalidate
Flags C & D the Governor's conclusions in his telegrams Nos 114 and 115,
or in Sir Vincent Evans' minute of 30 January.
Flag E
But we must
consider them and we must submit a reply from the Secretary
of State.
3. Mr De Basto and his associates draw attention to the fact
that the Government of Hong Kong is considering raising the
retiring age of ordinary civil servants from 55 to 60. This
is true, but it is by no means decided upon and would not
anyway involve an Amendment of the Letters Patent. They also
stress that they are only recommending raising the retiring
age of the Chief Justice and not of the Puisne Judges, at least
for the time being. This goes some way to answer the point in
Sir Vincent Evans minute that an amendment of the age rule
could adversely affect the career structure of the Judiciary
in Hong Kong.
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
14.