TNAG-0314-FCO40-350-Appointments-to-judiciary-of-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 13

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Reference

Mr Shaw (DTGD) (through Mr Hall)

You will remember we exchanged minutes last August about pensions for judges in Hong Kong.

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2. I then referred Mr Rushford's ideas to Mr West in Pensions Branch of OMD I, ODA. His views are in his letter to me of 12 November.

3.

I was not sure that the West Indian precedent would be entirely satisfactory for Hong Kong because, although it would do away with difficulty as between one judge and another, the members of the public service other than judges might well complain about the introduction of preferential pension arrangements for the judges. Mr Rushford's proposals certainly get round this problem.

4. However I can see that such a radical approach will have to be most carefully considered having regard to the kind of point to which Mr West has referred.

5. As I understand it we are hoping that it will be possible to work out arrangements enabling an officer on the permanent and pensionable establishment in Hong Kong to complete his career in the Diplomatic

I Service or some other United Kingdom Service.

do not know how far you have got with these proposals but if for one reason or another we ran into difficulties something on the lines of Mr Rushford's ideas would at least get us over the problem so far as pensions were concerned of providing Hong Kong with a permanent and pensionable cadre of officers for a period of years rather less than the normal 30 to 35 provided for in the old Colonial Service.

6. In your minute of 13 August you said that you would like to see these papers again in the light of comments by Mr Hall. I am therefore sending them to

you through Mr Hall.

7.

I myself can see no harm in putting to Hong Kong in the context of appointments to the Bench from the Bar both the West Indies arrangements and also Mr Rushford's suggestions.

There is obviously

going to be no quick answer to this question.

Enana

E O Laird

Hong Kong Department

3 December 1971

Mh. Hall

I sho like to su

will

your commendly.

DD 737719 557664 500M 2/71 GM 3643/2