TNAG-0594-FCO40-740-Staffing-in-the-Dependent-Territories-in-the-1980s-1977 — Page 71

Mr Rushford

comments? Am G 24/7

RUSHFORD

DRAFT CIRCULAR TO GOVERNORS OF DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

No comment. ARR26.7

Judicial and Legal Staffing of the Dependent Territories in the 1980's

1. This office is at present considering how to deal with the probable problem

higher

which will arise in the 1980's of filling the high judicial and 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 experience 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.

3. With reference to the remaining dependent territories we make the following

assumptions:

(a) that at least during the 1980's there will be no difficulty in finding

mant non-resiout

suitable persons from outside the territories for appoint as judges of non-resident courts of appeal (Belize, Turks and Caicos Islands,

cies

St Helena and dependente, Falkland Islands and dependencies, British

Antarctic Territory, Gibraltar, Anguilla and probably Cayman Islands);

in

(b) that is certain other territories (Anguilla, Falkland Islands, British

/Antarctic