Personal
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FROM: K A M Saunders
Hong Kong Department
DATE: 1 November 1993
CCT¡ Mr Chamberlain
MKB. 011/800
Ms Barrett,
Legal Advisers
Mr Bunten, HKD
Mr Wye, RAD
Mr Ricketts
Very helpful
: the He fact Hat are have
Mr Hum
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received, unsolicited, His advice is sensitive!
FAC ENQUIRY: LEGAL ADVICE
1.
Babeth
Cabeth 1/n
Elizabeth Wright, Head of the BBC Chinese Service in Bush
House and one of the two advisers to the FAC for their current
enquiry into China and Hong Kong, rang me today. In the course
of our conversation she told me the questions she had suggested
the Committee might put to legal experts on Wednesday.
as follows:
They are
A1-159
(i) What status does the Basic Law have in international law?
(ii) How flexible is the Basic Law?
SM
(iii) Does trying to change the Basic Law amount to trying to
breach it?
(iv) If they consider the Governor's proposals were in breach of the Basic Law, what are the precise grounds for this belief?
(v) How would they define the spirit of the Basic Law in legal
terms?
facenq.PR
SLM
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