DSR 11 (Revised)
DRAFT: minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note
FROM:
MR LUCE
DEPARTMENT:
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
TO:
Top Secret
Secret
Confidential
Restricted
Unclassified
Ivan Lawrence Esq QC MP
House of Commons
London SW1A OAA
TEL. NO:
TYPE: Draft/Final 1+
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.In Confidence
CAVEAT.......
SUBJECT:
In my speech winding up the debate on the Second Reading
of the Hong Kong Bill on 21 January 1985, I said that I
would write to those who had raised points that I felt I
had not answered. You raised the question of a supreme
court in Hong Kong to rule upon any conflicts between the
local law and the Basic Law and the question of the
future of Crown servants in Hong Kong.
Enclosures-flag(s).............
The agreement provides for the power of final judgement
of the SAR to be vested in the court of final appeal in
the SAR. The Basic Law will be one of the laws of the
Hong Kong SAR and the courts of the SAR (including of
Course the court of final appeal) will have to decide
cases in accordance with these laws. The key point is
that the Basic Law must stipulate those Chinese policies
for Hong Kong which are set out in the agreement. It
will be approved by the Chinese National People's
Congress, and no doubt those who draft it will ensure
that there is no conflict between the Basic Law and other
Chinese laws.