Nove
Confidential
HKK 14/17
Reference
88
MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR TO DISCUSS BLAIR-KERK
RECOM ENDATIONS ON A ENDM NTS TO COLONIAL EGULATIONS
GOVELNING RUTINEMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE OFFICERS
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As promised.
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1419
The Governor explained his need to be able to
retile compulsorily police and other public service
officers, at the Queen's pleasure, for reasons good
enough to satisfy the Secretary of State, when those
reasons would either not be admittable or would not
stand up in a Court of law.
There was a fairly lengthy discussion on the
Governor's powe s to do this under the existing
Colonial Regulations (which had in any case been
amended in 1970 in their application to Hong Kong
for just this reason). It was decided that Col.
Reg. No 55 which provides for the removal of public
service officers at the queen's pleasure (without
necessarily loss of pension or gratuity), could be
used by Hong Kong in cases of corruption, but that it
would be advisable to use it 'as a last resort'.
Col. Reg. 59 which empowers the Governor to retire
officers in the public interest could and should be
used with No 55 as a fall-back position if nece sary.
Sir Murray MacLehose said that if British expe ience
was an thing to go by, this should serve his
purpose 9 times out of 10.
He had talked about this
to Sir Robert Mark the Commissioner of Police, who
had said that in most cases when they confronted
officers suspected of corruption, and suggested it
would be a good thing if they rat went, in nine cases
out of 10 they did go without fuss.
However, Sir Murray MacLehose did say that there
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