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accepted or rejected as a whole and how it would come into force.
fr Holland said that it came into force automatically, provided
the sterling holders continued to follow the terms of the former
agreements. It was not intended to be a formal bilateral agree-
ment. He personally thought many of the recipients would find it
an attractive offer. Sir M MacLehose said he would send a telegram
to Hong Kong asking for reactions to the Declaration.
MR GODBER AND THE BLAIR-KERR REPORT
7.
The meeting was joined by Mr Rushford and Mr Wright.
Mr Royle said we had been having a look at the possibility of
amending the Fugitive Offenders Act. It contained a double
criminality provision. This had been put in in 1967 because the
independent Commonwealth countries had the power to make their own
laws which might be quite different from ours. This need not
logically apply to the Dependent Territories, where we had some
control over the legislation, and we could change the relevant
provision by Order in Council. One problem was, however, that the
section of the Prevention of Bribery under which Mr Godber was
charged in Hong Kong, was itself open to criticism.
Officers had advised against it, and he had had to undertake to
defend it in Parliament if necessary. It would only be possible
to get a change in the Fugitive Offenders Act through with the
support of the Opposition. He intended to talk to the Attorney
General and the Whips, and then the Opposition. He was advised
that if the Act was amended it could be made to apply to Mr Godber
/without
The Law
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