CONFIDENTIAL & PERSONAL
4
ра
11 July, 1969
John Moreton has laid down his responsibilities for Hong Kong and I am therefore writing about a matter which was discussed with you when he was in Hong Kong - namely, the appointment of Sir Michael Hogan's successor as Chief Justice.
I understand that one of the possibilities mentioned was the "secondment" (for want of a better term) of an English judge to act as Chief Justice. We are informed that there would be no chance of obtaining the release af a serving judge for this purpose in view of the pressure of work in the courts here and indeed it would be difficult even to request this since we could not maintain that it was impossible to fill the post from the local Bench. Another possibility to which some consideration was given was the appointment of a Q.C. from the English Bar, though we gather that such an appointment might be opposed within the judicial service.
If you wish to propose the appointment of a Q.C. from the English Bar you should let us have the proposal very quickly so that we may put it up to Ministers for considera- tion and, subject to their approval, take steps to see whether anyone suitable would be available. It might be difficult to
find a suitable Q.C. who was interested and it may even now be too late to secure such a person before the end of the year.
(w. S. Carter)
His Excellency,
Sir David Trench, G.C.M.G., M.C.,
Government House,
HONG KONG.
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