in France without any special procedure being required (see Article 26). Correspondingly, of course, given in other
judgments Contracting States would have enforceable in Hong Kong.
to be As you will see from the 1982 UK Act, that would
that would require some relatively complex local legislation. On general legal and commercial grounds, we would be in favour of civil judgments being mutually recognised and enforced among the widest possible network of countries and territories sharing common
judicial
standards, in order to narrow down the circumstances where people who default on
who default on their obligations are able to escape justice simply by leaving the country territory. But it must first be a matter for
whether it would be valuable to Hong Kong to be part of such a system.
assess
4.
*
:
or
you
to
:
We have also considered here in a preliminary way whether this
this Convention could continue to apply to Hong Kong after 1997.
1997. At first sight, given that it would be extended to Hong Kong by virtue solely of its position as a dependent territory of an
an EC member state, we cannot see how it could. This would plainly be a negative factor: but you may feel that it would be worthwhile for Hong Kong to participate in this Convention even for only the next 11 years or so; and it is I suppose conceivable that we might be able to agree
agree with the Chinese before the transfer of sovereignty on some way of extending the application of the Convention post-1997.
5.
We are writing separately to the other dependent territories to ask if they too would wish the Convention to be extended to them.
6.
I should be grateful for your views by mid-August if possible.
Your sincerely,
hayda
A M Layden
Hong Kong Department