TNAG-0500-FCO40-565-Appointments-of-puisne-judges-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 17

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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CONFIDENTIAL

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On Stefan

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HONG KONG COURT OF APPEAL AND APPOINTMENT OF PUISNE JUDGES

1.

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In his telegram no. 212 (paragraph 4) the Governor seeks

our approval for the establishment of a permanent Court of Appeal.

The intention is to reconstitute the Supreme Court in two

divisions, a High Court and a Court of Appeal. The latter would

consist of the Chief Justice and two Appeal Judges, who would be

eligible to sit in the first instance in the High Ourt also.

2.

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The Governor last sought our approval for such a proposal in 1972. On the advice of the Legal Advisers we then suggested

that we should introduce new measures by administrative action

and leave open the question of changes in legislation for about

a year, in order to see how such administrative arrangements

worked out in practice (FCO telno. 59 Saving). The Governor

concurred in this advice. We have heard nothing since. Indeed

the Governor, in his latest recommendation, does not make it clear

whether the Chief Justice has tried the suggested administrative

arrangements, but without success; whether he never put them into

practice; or whether the Governor regards his present proposals,

which are largely administrative in character, as being a substitute

for the earlier scheme. We could ask him. But since I, and also

now the Legal Advisers, think that the new proposal is right in

principle, there seems no need to waste time.

3.

A further reason for avoiding delay is that the need for

a permanent appellate court was one of the points made by Lord

Gardiner, when he called with the Justice delegation last summer.

CONFIDENTIAL

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