CO129-616-3 Prevention of Corruption Ordinance- 1948 7-8-1948 - 21-10-1948 — Page 21

The new section is such a change from well-

established practice however, both in the United

Kingdom and the Colonies that I hesitate to advise

the Secretary of State on it without further

discussion, and in the first instance the

discussion might be unofficial.

If you are likely to be in London fairly soon,

would you be good enough to look into to see either

Roberts-Wray or myself on the point.

That I have in mind at present is that

perhaps Hong Kong's difficulty might be solved if the

Chief Justice could hold a Council of Judges and

agree with them, that instead of having this new

section 9, the judges might explain the word "danger"

or "dangerous" to juries or alternatively substitute

a phrase in place of the existing one, such as

"the judge shall direct the jury as to the

implications arising

undesirability

from

of

convicting on the

uncorroborated evidence of &c."

If something like this could be contrived,

Section 9 as now enacted could disappear.

Yours etc.

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