TNAG-0196-FCO40-232-Judiciary-appointments-1970 — Page 92

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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Industrial dijurie's Appeals Tofuncal

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10/8/65

Sir Arthur Grattan-Bellew

The reports of both the local candidates are very comprehensive, and a comparison of their merits, based on these, is not difficult. They are much of an age. Sir Ivo Rigby was appointed to the Service in 1935, has had more varied experience (in terms of service in different countries), and has been longer on the Bench. His early confidential reports are good, those on him as a Judge in Nyasaland very critical indeed, a good deal better in Malaya (where, incidentally, his father served), and, on his recent service in Hong Kong, favourable but with some distinct reservations.

Mr. Blair-Kerr was appointed immediately after the war. Before his war service he had been a solicitor in Malaya. In Hong Kong, he had about seven years as a Magistrate, six as a Senior Crown Counsel, two as a District Judge, and was promoted to Puisne Judge in 1961. All his reports are good, and those on his more recent service very good indeed. On the basis of these it is difficult to find much fault with him, and his claims certainly seem to be the superior of the two candidates'.

I am afraid that I have not ventured on an analysis of every single Judge and Law Officer still serving, to consider possible competitors to these two. Nor have I embarked on a sort of pensioners' parade, with a view to demonstrating inadequacies (for the present purpose) which are surely well known to us. There are a number of officers who are very good in themselves but, were they of such conspicuous quality as to justify their importation to Hong Kong in circumstances like

/these,

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