А
4.
Such appointments would be "very exceptional" and might
be more acceptable to the Legal Service were they made when
there were two or more vacancies only one of which was filled
from the Bar. The Governor accepted this proposal but suggested
delaying the reply to Mr de Basto pending the issue of a
Circular to inform the Service of the change in policy.
Because such a course of action would alarm members of the
Service unnecessarily we suggested to Hong Kong that the
letter to Mr de Basto should be sent without further delay
and that informal reassurances need not be given to the
Service until such time as an appointment from the Bar was
about to be made. Though there has been no response to
these suggestions we must assume that Mr de Basto has been
informed as in paragraph 2 above.
5.
In view of this and particularly as he is now Chairman of
the Hong Kong Bar Association, we clearly cannot tell
Mr Litton (through Mr Tilney) what we have not thought fit to
tell either the Legal Service or Mr de Basto as a former
Chairman of the Bar Association.
RECOMMENDATION
6.
I recommend, therefore, that Mr Royle send a reply to Mr
Tilney on the lines of the attached draft which is similar to
the answer we suggested to Mr de Basto's earlier letter on the
Both the draft and this submission have been
same subject.
cleared by Mr Rushford, Legal Adviser.
20 October 1971
J A Clewley
Hong Kong Department
(145181) Dd. 737490 750M 1/71 Hw.
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