TNAG-0193-FCO40-229-Representations-from-Hong-Kong-Bar-Association-particularly--1970 — Page 108

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference........K 14/14.

2

Mr. Cruchley (Hong Kong Department?

You may decide to send these papers to Sir James McPetrie who has had previous dealing with the subject.

2. At (1) the Acting Governor of Hong Kong replies to Mr. Mason's letter at (9) (old file) written after Mr. de Basto, Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, had had a meeting with Lord Shepherd in August. The record of that meeting was sent to Hong Kong and is at (8)

3. The point on which Mr. de Basto concentrated most was the possibility of appointments to the Supreme Court Bench from the Hong Kong Bar. The Minister agreed that this idea should be further examined and in his letter, Mr. Mason followed this up with a suggestion that the vacancy on the Supreme Court Bench, created by the death of Mr. Creedon, might offer an exceptional opportunity to make an appointment from the Bar.

4.

The Acting Governor's letter is closely reasoned and I do not think that it would be helpful if I attempted to summarize what nevertheless seems to be a strong case against an appointment from the Bar, mainly on account of the discontent which this would cause in the judicial and legal service of the colony. Indeed, he suggests that de Basto's proposal is not dis-interested and this will be at once apparent in the legal service if an appointment of the sort he suggests were made.

5.

We should be grateful for your advice. You wil1 see that at 10 on the old file, de Basto wrote again to the Minister and was sent such a reply at (14) as to close the correspondence between the Minister and him, leaving it to the Governor to deal with the remainder of the matter.

6. You will see that the Attorney-General of Hong Kong has not yet heard from de Basto about those matters which the latter was advised to take up with him.

If and when he does hear, the Attorney-General will write to Sir James McPetrie.

Muv

(H. H. Stewart) Hong Kong Department,

9 December, 1968

CONFIDENT IAL

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