TNAG-0189-FCO40-225-Chinese-marriages-in-Hong-Kong-1969 — Page 14

BY AIR MAIL

7

ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS

HONG KONG

19th March, 1969.

PERSONAL

Sir James McPetrie, K.C.M.G., O.B.E.,

Legal Adviser,

Foreign and Commonwealth Offices,

Downing Street,

London, S.W.1,

ENGLAND.

Dear Hamish,

Chinese Marriages in Hong Kong.

I wonder if you would be so kind as to try to get us

a reply on a matter which seems to have got stuck in the F.C.0.?

The Governor sent a saving despatch 1374 on 22nd October, 1968, to the S. of S., asking for his views on our proposal to provide for the divorce in Hong Kong of parties who were not domiciled here.

We sent reminders on 9th January and 6th February this year, but have had no reply of any kind.

Could you please try to get us one soon? This is an important piece of legislation, which we very much want to get on with.

Our inclination is to confer jurisdiction to dissolve marriages on the courts wherever the petitioner has a "substantial connection" with the Colony; this is made necessary by the fact that many of our people regard China as their "domicil", though they will spend all their working lives here and may well never return. Indyka v. Indyka does, I think, give us some encouragement, and it would be helpful if we could be told that the S. of S. would have no objection to legislation on those lines.

We shall, in due course, send the Bill dealing with the reform of Chinese marriages to the S. of S., for his approval before introduction into the Legislative Council.

I hope to see you in August when I come back for a short leave and will write later to arrange a date suitable to you.

Tood

ARK 14|4

Ace

1.

8

ever,

Jours

(D.T.E. Roberts)