TNAG-0408-FCO40-454-Allegations-of-bribery-and-corruption-in-the-Hong-Kong-polic-1973 — Page 6

To sum up, while appreciating your difficulties with Hong Kong, we do not think that it would be right to amend the law, as you propose, in the hope of bringing Mr Godber to book. I understand that you suggested to Bubbear that there was, in any event, a case to be argued for dispensing with the double-criminality rule for dependencies in general so as to take account of the responsibilities of the United Kingdom for their laws and the possibility of the U.K. accepting that there could be good reasons for differences between their and our domestic law.

This is a matter which, if you wish to pursue it, we should want to go into as one of principle and policy. All I would say about it now is that I doubt whether there are sufficient reasons for altering the view we took in 1966, which no doubt reflected not only the importance of the double-criminality rule but also the movement towards increasing independence within the Commonwealth.

I am sending copies of this letter to de Winton and to Richardson in your Nationality and Treaty Department.

your sincent

Age Brenna

3

A JE Brennan