Reference.....
CONFIDENTIAL
Mr Rushford
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN HONG KONG
1.
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Attached are the Governor's letter to Sir Duncan Watson of 13 May covering the Chief Justice's letter of 8 May of which you have already received a сору. Sir Duncan Watson will be going to Hong Kong on 24 May.
The Governor has set aside half a day for him to discuss this complex of questions with the Chief Justice and the Attorney General. Sir Duncan Watson has therefore asked that we should give him whatever comments we can on the Governor's response to help him in his preliminary talks which will, as you say in your minute to me of 20 May, lead up to the Governor's own visit here on 20 June.
21 May 1974
ACSE
A C Stuart
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean
Dept.
1.
We had a word about this yesterday and I do not think there is a great deal for me to say.
2. If the retiring age for the Supreme Court is raised to 65, the present CJ would presumably retire in June 1979 not June 1976. Mr Roberts, who was born in January 1923 hopes to be considered for the vacancy, but believes that it will be too late for him if it occurs in 1979 instead of 1976.
3. The CJ does not favour an outside appointment to the Supreme Court from the English bar, but it is of interest to note that he sees scope for an appointment from the local bar if the retiring ages are raised. I agree that any one chosen from here would have to be of very high quality and might not be easy to find, so that if a good local candidate is forthcoming, a local appointment might be preferable.
ARR
22 May 1974
CONFIDENTIAL
A R Rushford
Deputy Legal Adviser
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Mr Stuart (KHIOD)
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