TNAG-0085-FCO40-121-Reform-of-the-Administration-of-Law-1968 — Page 43

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Reference........

HWB 14/61

161/4

Mr. Godden

Please see the identical letters from the

Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association at

Nos. 1 and 2 below.

2. It is, I am afraid, typical of many expatriate organisations in Hong Kong (including the Hong Kong Bar Association, which is predominantly expatriate)

that they should always be seeking to bypass their own Governor and Government, and trying to get direct access to the Secretary of State or Ministers

in London. This has been characteristic of so many

of these expatriate organisations in Hong Kong for at

least the 30 years during which I have been, on and

off, dealing with Hong Kong affairs. It is of course

intensely irritating to the Governor and his

Unofficials, all the more so as the Chinese Unofficial and organisations do look to the Governor first and foremost, and do not like to see their European colleagues "getting away" with attempts to bypass the Governor.

3. Since I believe that we ought normally to do nothing to encourage this tendency, I would very much like to advise that the Secretary of State and Minister of State should suggest to Mr. de Basto that he and his colleagues should see the Legal Advisers. But, in view of the correspondence with Mr. Jackson- Lipkin at Nos. 65 and 71 on HWB 1/18 attached, I agree with Sir J. McPetrie that there is a Ministerial commitment here. But I hope that Lord Shepherd will agree that he should see them, and that they should not be granted an interview with the Secretary of State as well.

4. But I would strongly advise that when

Lord Shepherd sees the Bar Association representatives

he should also invite Mr. Roberts, the Attorney- General of Hong Kong who is now on leave in this country, to be present, sitting on Lord Shepherd's side of the table. In the first place it would undoubtedly be very convenient that Mr. Roberts should be present; and I think it would also get across to them in an effective way that they cannot hope to drive a wedge between Ministers in London and the Hong Kong Government.

5. I also feel that, while we obviously cannot stop the Bar Association representatives from making known

their