TNAG-0499-FCO40-564-Administration-of-justice-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 34

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HKK 14/6

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PRIC14/42 8969

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HONG KONG DISTRICT JUDGES: FORMS OF ADDRESS

1.

After protracted internal minuting, you wrote to the Chief Justice on 17 June to say that, if the District Judges were to be given a place in the Table of Precedence and to be accorded the title of "His Honour Judge X", we would need formal recommendations from the Governor to this effect, including a proposal on their position in the Table of Precedence.

2.

The Governor has now replied in saving telegram no 205 of 24 August to say that he himself thinks that it is sufficient (as FCO advised in December 1969) that the courtesy address of "Your Honour" used in court is a proper and sufficient recognition of the office of District Judge and that "istrict Judges" should continue to be referred to as such outside court without any further prefix.

3. Although the distribution copies of saving telegram no 205 are signed "Roberts", the advance copy is clearly from "the Governor" and not from "the acting Governor" (who told us in a separate telegram that he assumed the administration of the government on 24 August). I think we can safely assume that saving telegram no 205 reflects the views of the Governor himself.

4. This matter is of course one of the many points which have been raised with us by Justice. I should be grateful for your views on whether we should now seek to impose a change which the Governor himself clearly would not support.

5 September 1974

B.H. Finniddy.

B H Dinwiddy

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept

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