TNAG-0264-FCO40-300-Establishment-of-Inn-of-Court-in-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 22

LG.3/893/1

7 August, 1970.

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ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INN OF COURT

IN HONG KONG

Mc Petrie has asked me to write to you concerning the proposal from the Governor of Hong Kong that an Inn of Court should be established in the Colony.

At present the jurisdiction over the admission of barristers and their control and discipline is vested in the Chief Justice, but it is thought that the time has now come when this jurisdiction should be exercised by practising members of the profession, and in order to carry this out the Governor has suggested that there should be an Inn of Court established by Royal Charter and to be known as "The Queen's Inn".

In Hong Kong there are approximately only 40 practising barristers and it seemed to us to be a little pretentious in these circumstances for an Inn of Court to be established by Royal Charter, and that instead the Inn should be established by local legislation as has been done, I understand, in other territories.

We asked the Privy Council Office for their views and Leigh has replied as follows:-

"subject to any different view which the Lord Chancellor's Office may express, we feel doubtful whether it would be right in principle to constitute the Inn ab initio by Charter.

"We think it would be preferable to establish the Inn. (and, if The Queen approves, call it "The Queen's Inn") by local legislation. If, after say 5 years, the body had proved a success, then the question of a Charter could be considered."

Sir Denis Dobson, K.C.B., 0.B.E.,

Lord Chancellor's Departments, Lord Chancellor's office,

House of Lords, London, S.W.1.

/Mc Petrie

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