PRIORITY
CYPHER CAT A
FM HONG KONG 268915Z
CONFIDENTIAL
HKA 373/393/5
RELIVED
→Y NO. 51
21 SEP 1973
CONFIDENTIAL
DESK
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
20 SEPTEMBER 1978.
REGISTRY
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FOR BRAY FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL.
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39
IN THE SEARCH FOR MY SUCCESSOR, WE ARE LOOKING AT VARIOUS UK
SOURCES. ONE OF THEM IS THE ENGLISH BAR, AN APPROACH FOR HELP HAS
BFEN MADE TO DAVID HIRST QC, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BAR COUNCIL, THROUGH THE LORD CHANCELLORS DEPARTMENT. HIRST NEEDS DETAILS OF THE APPOINTMENT AND SOME OTHER BACKGROUND, AND I SHALL BE GLAD IF YOU WILL URGENTLY PASS THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE FROM ME TO HIM AT THE OFFICE OF THE SENATE AND THE BAR COUNCIL, 11 SOUTH SQUARE, GRAY'S INN UNDER COVER MARKED FOR HIM PERSONALLY. IF YOU WISH TO TELEPHONE HIM IN ADVANCE OF SENDING THE MESSAGE, THE NUMBER IS 242-0082. WHEN YOU PASS THE MESSAGE TO HIM, I SHALL ALSO
BE GLAD IF YOU WILL GIVE HIM MY APOLOGY FOR A MESSAGE IN TELEX FORM AND EXPLAIN THAT I DO SO ON ACCOUNT OF OUR TIMETABLE AND
KNOWN DELAYS IN THE UK MAIL.
2. MESSAGE DEGINS. I THINK THAT BY NOW YOU WILL HAVE SEEN A COPY
OF WILFRED BOURNE'S LETTER TO DENYS ROBERTS ABOUT THE SEARCH
FOR MY SUCCESSOR AS ATTORNEY GENERAL,
WE APE CONDUCTING A BROADLY-BASED SEARCH NOT ONLY BECAUSE THERE
IS NO OBVIOUSLY SUITABLE CANDIDATE HERE BUT ALSO BECAUSE THIS
SEEMS SENSIBLE ANYWAY. IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT WE ARE
LOOKING AT THE ENGLISH BAR AS A POSSIBLE SOURCE, YOU WILL REALISE
THAT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT OTHER SOURCES.
THE OBJECT OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME BACKGROUND
INFORMATION.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS AN EX OFFICIO MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE
COUNCIL (THE GOVERNMENTS PRIME POLICY-MAKING BODY, PRESIDED OVER
BY THE GOVERNOR) AND OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THE OFFICE
OF ATTORNEY GENERAL COMBINES, UNDER THE SIMPLE CROWN COLONY CONSTITUTION OF HONG KONG, THE ROLE OF MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN ITS WIDEST SENSE AND THAT OF
PERMANENT UNDER-SECRETARY. THERE IS THEREFORE A LARGE POLICY CONTES
IN HIS WORK,
CONFIDENTIAL
/ IN THE