TNAG-0499-FCO40-564-Administration-of-justice-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 174

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be expatriate.

I can see that District Court judges may be handicapped

Whether it by lack of previous experience of civil law. would be feasible to arrange for a magistrate or Crown counsel who was thought suitable for appointment to the District Court to be given a year's experience of civil work in English Chambers or on a course before he took up his duties I do not know, but the idea seems worth exploring.

The comments on the four preceding paragraphs are my own and I do not suggest you should pass them on to Jackson-Lipkin. It seems to me that it would be best to send him a pretty non-committal reply, on the lines that the FCO is fully aware of the criticisms made of the Hong Kong judicial system, and the suggestions made for changes in the system, and that these matters are under active consideration by the FCO in consultation with the Governor.

Yours Antony Rushford

A R Rushford

Deputy Legal Adviser

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