CO129-448 - Governor Sir May - 1918 [4-6] — Page 230

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Enclosure 2.

COPY.

REC

REG II JUL 18

Chambers,

Supreme Court, Hongkong.

11th May, 1918.

229

Sir,

I venture to write to you as the Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn in support of a petition which has been addressed to you and the Benchers by Mr. J. R. Wood, a student of the Inn.

I forward a copy of the petition. The application

is I an awere an unusual one, but the circumstances are exception al, and I believe they justify special consideration.

The administration of justice in this Colony is vested in two Judges only, the Chief Justice and the Puiane Judge; and when either of them takes vacation leave it is necessary to appoint, if possible from within the Colonial Service, a barrister to act as Puisne Judge during the vacancy. The choice is necessar· -ily limited to officials as there is no sufficient stipend avail- able to secure the services of a local barrister.

The temporary office has of recent years been fill- ed either by the senior Police Magistrate, now retired, or by the former Crown Solicitor who is now Attorney General, both of whom were barristers, At the present time the choice is extremely limited, and Mr. Wood, who has for 10 years performed with ability! the exacting duties of Police Magistrate, is in my opinion the only official suitable to act as Puisne Judge. In fact his experience of Chinese gained in the Police Court entirely fits him to deal with the small class of Chinese litigation carried on in the Summary Jurisdiction of the Puisne Judge's Court. Sir W. Phipson Beale, Bart.

&c.

K.C., M.P. &c.

&c. Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn.

In