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same dearth of outside names.
The only suggestion put forward
by Mr Rushford was Sir Bryan Roberts who has recently retired
as Attorney General of Malawi. Sir Bryan has expressed
interest in further employment and is being considered as a
possible candidate as Attorney General of Bermuda but he is
not a permanent and pensionable officer and therefore does not
have the same claim as permanent members of the judicial service.
4. Sir Murray MacLehose's new recommendation of Mr Justice
Briggs is consistent with his despatch and was previously
strongly supported the first time round by Mr Rushford.
Although the present Chief Justice preferred Mr Roberts there
is no evidence in the papers that he had a substantial objection
to Mr Justice Briggs. The meeting therefore considered that,
subject to your view, we should put in train the appointment of
Mr Justice Briggs to replace Mr Roberts as Sir Ivo Rigby's
successor.
This will require a new submission to The Queen.
The only condition placed by the Governor on his recommendation
is that Mr Roberts could be considered for Chief Justice of
Hong Kong, if he wished to apply, when the successor to
Sir Ivo Rigby retires. Mr Rushford undertook to consider this.
5. In his telegram No 11 the Governor also considered the
suggestion, which I had put to him at Mr Rushford's prompting,
that Mr Justice Blair-Kerr should be allowed to act as Chief
Justice from Sir Ivo Rigby's departure in May until his own. retirement in December this year. He came down firmly against
this idea.
дево
A C Stuart
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department
10 January 1973
cc Mr Wilford
Sir D Watson
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