TNAG-0398-FCO40-444-Appointments-to-supreme-and-district-courts-from-the-Bar-in--1973 — Page 75

ORD

Mr Rushford

Mr Fifoot

Reference

1.

Akk AKK 14 12.

The problem now is that, if the reply is confined to magistrates and is completely non-committal about judges, it will then not answer the questions asked in Mr Rees' letter, although it will answer questions asked orally on another occasion. I understand that a reply to the Hong Kong Bar petition about extending Sir Ivo Rigby's tour has now been sent. Perhaps we should therefore advise the Minister simply to send an interim reply now, and a substantive one when the appointment of the new Chief Justice is announced. This substantive reply could then deal with magistrates on much the same lines as the present draft, and go on to say that we would also discuss judges with the new Chief Justice. Would you therefore agree to the attached holding draft, and revised version of the final paragraphs of the submission?

27 February 1973

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R B Crowson

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department

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