(17260) Dd.897459 400m 12/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863
(16940) Dd.897300 400m 9/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry
No.
CURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
--In Confidence
file
DRAFT LETTER
To:-
The Rt. Hon. The Lord Gardiner
Chairman of Council Justice
12 Crane Court
Type 1 +
FROM
Secretary of Stale
Telephone No. Ext.
Fleet Street London EC4
Department
I wrote to you on 12 June in reply to your letter
of 5 June about the new Bills which were being
considered by the Hong Kong Legislative Council.
Since then we have heard from the Governor that,
before the copy of your letter reached him, he ha
decided, in consultation with the new Chief Just e
to adjourn the debate on the Magistrates (Amendmet; }
Bill so that the need for it could be reconsidere i
in the light of the fact that two additional Distin
Judgeships have recently been created. It theref
seems that the extra work load could be carried b
the District Courts and that no increase in the
Magistrates' powers may be necessary, at least fr
the time being. Furthermore the Governor has und »
consideration the possibility of appointing
practising members of the Hong Kong bar to the tw
new District Judgeships.
This should meet your members' most pressing conc
particularly their worries about the absence of 1 ra
aid in the Magistrates Courts and the calibre and
origins of the District Court judges.
+
/At the