2
5.
As regards jury service, the Registrar has in practice used his discretion to exempt a member of ICM's staff who receives a jury summons, on being told by the Representative that that person's uninterrupted services were necessary for the efficient functioning of the organisation. When Mrs Lamb received a summons for jury duty, Mr Lamb claimed that ICM was an international organisation enjoying here the same privileges and immunities as those granted to the Specialized Agencies of the United Nations by virtue of the UN Convention of 21 November 1947. On the Registrar replying that he was bound by the Jury Ordinance and could not agree to the total exemption of officials of ICM and their families, it transpired that Mrs Lamb was not in Hong Kong when the summons was received and would still be away from Hong Kong for the period for which she was summoned, in which circumstances exemption is of course given.
6.
We allow ICM the use, rent-free, of valuable premises. We shall do our best by administrative action to resolve any problems, e.g. over the importation of equipment needed by ICM (as far as I am aware no such problem has arisen).
7.
The lack of formal immunity from the jurisdiction in respect of official acts does not seem to have caused any difficulty hitherto: if any should occur, we would do our best to ensure that the matter was handled sympathetically.
Yours evv,
см
John Cole
(J.N.O. Curle)
Director of Protocol
R.D. Clift Esq.,
Hong Kong & General Department,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
London SW1A 2AH,
England.
c.c. C.W. Long Esq.,
United Kingdom Mission,
Geneva.