TNAG-0395-FCO40-441-Appointment-of-Chief-Justice--Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 15

CONFIDENTIAL

same dearth of outside names.

The only suggestion put forward

by Mr Rushford was Sir Bryan Roberts who has recently retired

as Attorney General of Malawi. Sir Bryan has expressed

interest in further employment and is being considered as a

possible candidate as Attorney General of Bermuda but he is

not a permanent and pensionable officer and therefore does not

have the same claim as permanent members of the judicial service.

4. Sir Murray MacLehose's new recommendation of Mr Justice

Briggs is consistent with his despatch and was previously

strongly supported the first time round by Mr Rushford.

Although the present Chief Justice preferred Mr Roberts there

is no evidence in the papers that he had a substantial objection

to Mr Justice Briggs. The meeting therefore considered that,

subject to your view, we should put in train the appointment of

Mr Justice Briggs to replace Mr Roberts as Sir Ivo Rigby's

successor.

This will require a new submission to The Queen.

The only condition placed by the Governor on his recommendation

is that Mr Roberts could be considered for Chief Justice of

Hong Kong, if he wished to apply, when the successor to

Sir Ivo Rigby retires. Mr Rushford undertook to consider this.

5. In his telegram No 11 the Governor also considered the

suggestion, which I had put to him at Mr Rushford's prompting,

that Mr Justice Blair-Kerr should be allowed to act as Chief

Justice from Sir Ivo Rigby's departure in May until his own. retirement in December this year. He came down firmly against

this idea.

дево

A C Stuart

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department

10 January 1973

cc Mr Wilford

Sir D Watson

CONFIDENTIAL

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