CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 17113OZ FCO
TELNO 1550
OF 171055Z MAY 91
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 370/1
RECE
17 MAY 199!
1 SK OFFICER
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HEGISTRY
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MDHIAN 7109
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PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HKD FROM GOVERNOR-
YRTELNO 951: LETTER FROM DAVID HOWELL:
THE HONG KONG LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND THE HARRIS CASE
1. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SEE THE DRAFT REPLY TO MR HOWELL.
I HAVE ONLY TWO MINOR COMMENTS:
(A) MRS BAKER'S CHRISTIAN NAME IS PAMELA. THE INITIAL SHOULD THEREFORE BE 'P' NOT 'D'. IT IS WRONG TO SAY THAT SHE 'WORKS ON
BEHALF OF THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG'. I WOULD
PREFER SOMETHING ON THE LINES OF 'HAS REPRESENTED VBP IN HER
CAPACITY AS A LEGAL AID LAWYER.
(B) THERE SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING WRONG IN THE THIRD LINE OF THE THIRD PARAGRAPH. PRESUMABLY YOU PROPOSE TO SAY SOMETHING ON THE LINES THAT YOU DO NOT ACCEPT THE IMPLICATION IN MR AND MRS
HARRIS'S COMMENTS THAT FINDLAY HAS BEEN RELEGATED.
3. YOU ARE QUITE RIGHT IN SAYING THAT THE AG IS AN EX-OFFICIO MEMBER OF THE JSC AND THAT HE VOTED IN FAVOUR OF FINDLAY'S APPOINTMENT TO THE HIGH COURT. IN THIS SENSE, HE HAD NO PART IN THE JSC'S DECISION NOT TO RECOMMEND FINDLAY AS A HIGH COURT JUDGE. BUT I TAKE THE POINT YOU ARE MAKING: HOW PEOPLE VOTE IN THE JSC MUST REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL. A BETTER WAY OF PUTTING IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THAT THE APPOINTMENT OF FINDLAY WAS NOT A MATTER FOR THE AG BUT FOR THE JSC.
WILSON
YYYY