TNAG-0363-FCO40-409-Appointments-of-senior-officers-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 118

Mr Rushford

Sir Vincent Evans

Sir D Watson

STAFF IN CONFIDENCE

Flag A

Flag B

APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF JUSTICE, HONG KONG

1. We have now received the letter from the Chairman of the

Hong Kong Bar Association and the President of the Hong Kong

Law Society, which was promised in their earlier telegram and

in which they explain their reasons for proposing that Sir Ivo

Rigby's term of office should be extended.

2. I do not think that the arguments in this letter invalidate

Flags C & D the Governor's conclusions in his telegrams Nos 114 and 115,

or in Sir Vincent Evans' minute of 30 January.

Flag E

But we must

consider them and we must submit a reply from the Secretary

of State.

3. Mr De Basto and his associates draw attention to the fact

that the Government of Hong Kong is considering raising the

retiring age of ordinary civil servants from 55 to 60. This

is true, but it is by no means decided upon and would not

anyway involve an Amendment of the Letters Patent. They also

stress that they are only recommending raising the retiring

age of the Chief Justice and not of the Puisne Judges, at least

for the time being. This goes some way to answer the point in

Sir Vincent Evans minute that an amendment of the age rule

could adversely affect the career structure of the Judiciary

in Hong Kong.

STAFF IN CONFIDENCE

14.