HKD 384
28
10 MAR 1992
RESTRICTED
From:
Date:
G W Hewitt
SEAD
9 March 1992
نہیں
A
TIT
Mr Burns
PS/Lord Caithness
MALAYSIA: LORRAIN OSMAN
Problem
Cc:
Sir John Coles
ZB
Mr Ricketts, HKD
Mr Parker, Legal Advisers
Mr Smith, C7 Division,
Home Office
Reflects our in fint. M Mari's
ঊ
pa.
10/3
9/mö
1 The journalist interested in the Osman case, Kevin Cahill, has
written a further raft of letters to FCO officials, the Secretary of
State and the Prime Minister. He hopes to make the case an election issue. What response should be given and at what level?
Recommendation
2 I recommend that a reply is sent at departmental level noting
only that Osman's seventh habeas corpus application has been
rejected and that the court decided not to make the FCO a party to the proceedings. I submit a draft.
3 HKD, Legal Advisers and the Home Office concur.
Background
4 The background to Osman's seventh application for a writ of habeas corpus is given in Mr Rickett's submission of 20 February. The application, together with Osman's associated application for judicial review, was dismissed by the Divisional Court on 28
February. The court did not uphold a submission by the Hong Kong Government that the proceedings were an abuse of the process.
MA3 ABB
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