TNAG-0196-FCO40-232-Judiciary-appointments-1970 — Page 66

Registry No.

| SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

HKK 14/25 DRAFT

NOTE

To:-

Top Secr

нс

Type 1 +

19/12

From

2

Secret.

Confidential.

Restricted. Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

.....In Confidence

Domestic Item No. Z..

Telephone No. & Ext.

DISCUSSIONS WITH SIR DAVID TRENCH,

GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG

November, 1969

Appointment of a Successor to

Sir Michael Hogan, Chief Justice

Department

Sir Michael Hogan, Chief Justice, leaves on

retirement at the end of the year and the Governor has

been exercised for some time over the problem of

the

name of the

finding a successor. If his successor is to be

Sir Michael's

announced simultaneously with departure, a decision

will need to be taken early in December in view of the

time required to complete the necessary formal steps.

2. When Mr. Moreton visited Hong Kong in June there

was discussion with the Governor and Sir Michael Hogan

about the possibilities of appointing an English judge

or a Q.C. from the English Bar as Chief Justice. We

had to tell the Governor, after enquiries had been made

here, that there was no chance of obtaining the release

of an English judge in view of the pressure of work in

the courts. The Governor himself reached the

conclusion that the appointment of an English 2.C. would

Is the service locally.

He asked us in July if

not be acceptable l

there was any possibility of finding a suitable

Colonial Service candidate from outside Hong Kong,

but we had to tell him that there was not.

(118281) Dd. 391599 1,500M 2/69 Hw.

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

13.