TNAG-0352-FCO40-388-Appointments-to-judiciary-of-Hong-Kong-1972 — Page 77

MR. LAIRD

Reference

HKK 14/6

CONFIDENTIAL

23

HONG KONG: APPOINTMENT OF TWO PUISNE JUDGES

with Please refer to Miss Kelly's minute of 7 June and the attached

wi

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valis 4. he

130 we ask

despatch of 1 June, about filling the two new posts of Supreme Court Puisne Judges in Hong Kong.

2. During my recent visit to Hong Kong I met and talked to all

the persons named in the despatch except Mr. Henry Litton QC, who

was away on a visit to Australia.

3. Mr. D. A. L. Wright is well known to me since I served with

him in Hong Kong and elsewhere in the Far East in 1946 and 1947 when he and I were working under the Deputy Judge Advocate General

in South East Asia. He is a valued friend of mine and I have the

greatest regard for him both personally and professionally.

4.

Given that it is desirable to consider an appointment from the

Hong Kong Bar, I agree generally with the remarks made.

It is a

pity that neither Mr. Wright himself nor Mr. Cheung is interested, since either would be a very strong candidate if willing to serve. I agree that Mr. Jackson-Lipkin is the best candidate available

from the Hong Kong bar and indeed that there is no one else at

that bar who could be seriously considered for the present

vacancies.

+

5. As you know, there has been a campaign for some years among certain members of the bar to secure an appointment from among

their own number, in which the moving spirits have been Mr. de

Basto and Mr. Litton. I do not consider that the campaign reflects

any very strong feeling among the bar generally, and it certainly

does not reflect any marked manifestation of public opinion

generally throughout the Colony. Chinese opinion has, I think,

already been gratified by the appointment of Mr. Justice Li to

the Supreme Court and of Mr. Yang and Mr. Garcia to the District

Court. The appointment to the Supreme Court of a respected member of the legal community in Hong Kong would no doubt give satisfaction to local opinion generally.

16.

DD 897152 154596 500M 2/72 GM 3643/2