No:
12
SECRET.
Sir,
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONG KONG,
2
64
25th
March, 1947.
54185747
27/2
(
I have the honour to refer to paragraph 5 of my
secret despatch No. 6 of 14th February, 1947, on the subject
of the validity of the decrees of divorce pronounced by the
late Chief Justice in Stanley Internment Camp.
2.
Contrary to expectation, a case has now arisen
where one of the parties has remarried in reliance on the
decrees pronounced in Stanley. The decree in question was
pronounced in Stanley by the late Chief Justice in the case
between Winifred May Dalziel, petitioner, and Adam Gray
Dalziel, respondent. It was taken by both parties to be legal
and valid and the wife, Winifred May Dalziel, has now married
again. In a letter from her solicitors, it is stated that the
decree nisi was granted by the late Chief Justice in Stanley
Camp on 8th June, 1942, and the decree was made absolute by him
on 10th December, 1942. On production of a certified copy of the decree, Mrs. Dalziel on 4th October, 1946, married Mr. John
Odell in Singapore where she now resides. The respondent, Adam
Gray Dalziel, recently applied in Hong Kong for a special licence
in order to remarry. This has, of course, been refused. Both
parties have now asked Government to consider passing an Ordinance
validating this "and one other similar decree" made in Stanley
Camp, which might well be the case referred to by Messrs. Maddin
and Company. In view of the date of the marriage it is unlikely
that there is any issue but there may well be issue before a valid
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
A. CREECH JONES, P.C., M.P.
RECEIVED
8 APR 1947
C. O. REGY