TNAG-0594-FCO40-740-Staffing-in-the-Dependent-Territories-in-the-1980s-1977 — Page 63

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9 AUG 1977

HKA 4317

8 August 1977

JUDICIAL AND LEGAL STAFFING OF THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES IN THE 1900s

1. This Office is at present considering how to deal with the probuble problem which will arise in the 1980s of filling the judicial and higher legal appointments in the dependent territories for the staffing of which the Secretary of State retains responsibility. Experience over the last few years shows that, except in the case of Hong Kong, we can no longer rely either on in-service promotion to fill these needs or on the continued availability, as a source of recruitment, of retired (including prematurely retired) judicial and legal officers with relevant cperience in other dependent territories or former dependent territories.

2. For the purpose of planning we are excluding certain territories (Solomon Islands, Gilbert Islands, Tuvalu, New Hebrides and Bermuda) from our calculations, on the assumption that they will be independent by 1980. Nor do we expect any problem to arise in respect of Hong Kong, where promotions or appointments from local sources have long since been the main method of filling senior posts. We are not concerned with the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, as the staffing is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Defence.

2. With reference to the remaining dependent territories we make the following assumptions:

(a)

that at least during the 1980s there will be no difficulty in finding suitable persons from outside the territories for appointment as non-resident judges of courts of appeal (Belize, Turks and Caicos Islands, St Helena and dependencies, Falkland Islands and dependencies, British Antarctic Territory, Gibraltar, Anguilla and probably Cayman Islands);

(b) that in certain other territories (Anguilla, Falkland Islands, British Antarctic Territory and St Helena) the needs of the courts will continue to be adequately served by the appointment of part-time judges making occasional visits to the territories;

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