CO129-582-4 Legal Department- vacancies for Magistrates and Crown Counsel 11-5-1939 - 24-10-1939 — Page 24

No. 332.

53999/39

24

Sir,

པ་་

26 MAY 1939

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONG KONG,

11th May, 1939.

I have the honour to refer to my telegram No.126

1/53664/39 of 17th April, 1939, which read as follows:-

7/535647/37.

1/63984/39.

2.

"Reference Smith's despatch 492 of 1937 second

paragraph. I do not now desire that any candidates

be selected this year for appointment to administrative

service in this Colony. Despatch re creation of

additional posts of Crown Counsel and Magistrate

follows."

As you are aware, the police magistrates in this

Colony have been drawn in the past mainly from the

administrative service. I have reported in my despatch

No.76 of 3rd February, 1939, the constitution of the

magistrates as a sub-department under the Chief Justice

and it is intended that those posts should in future be filled by officers primarily devoted to legal work.

Officers of the administrative cadre are willing to serve

on the bench for a few years and they work hard and

conscientiously there, but naturally they do not study

the science and practice of law as deeply as would men who aim at promotion to the highest legal posts. On

inquiry I find that no administrative officer in this

service who is qualified to apply for transfer to the

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

MALCOLM MACDONALD, M.P.,

&C.,

&C.,

&C.