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6.
at
HKD
These proposals are
a very preliminary stage.
Neither EXCO, nor the Hong Kong Judiciary, nor the Hong
Kong Bar Association has yet been consulted on them.
officials and Legal Advisers have had preliminary and informal discussions upon them with senior HKG officials,
and we intend to consult the Secretary of State formally on these proposals once they have been developed and EXCO's
views on them have been obtained. These proposals will
inevitably be a controversial issue in Hong Kong,
especially within the legal profession. Unfortunately news
that the Hong Kong Government are reviewing these and other
possible options on the future of the judiciary has already leaked to a minor extent in Hong Kong.
7.
particularly
For these reasons I feel it is
important that the Secretary of State offer no comment on
the substance of Mr Justice Jackson-Lipkin's second letter.
The fact that the rumours which he relates are inaccurate
in several respects (in particular in referring to the
Governor's position) adds further point to this.
F
G
8.
The
There are also other factors of which I think the
Secretary of State should be aware, and which make it
particularly desirable that he does not correspond officially with Mr Justice Jackson-Lipkin at this stage.
The first is the standing of Mr Justice Jackson-Lipkin
among the Hong Kong judiciary. I attach an extract from
the Chief Justice's latest annual report on him.
second is the publicity given to his recent remarks on the legal system in Brunei, which may result in his not being
able to return there in his official capacity as a judge of the Supreme Court of Brunei (see the front page report in
the Hong Kong Standard of 17 July). Finally, we were
informed by MOD
by MOD officials last week that they have been investigating allegations that Mr Justice Jackson-Lipkin has been wearing in public R N campaign medals which he is
not entitled to wear. Following correspondence with MOD
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