HKA 373/393/5
CONFIDENTIAL
Sir Murray MacLehose GBE KCMG KCVO Governor and Commander-in-Chief BONG KONG
нка 373/393/5
RECEIVED IN VERSARY NO. 51 3 0 AUG 1978
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
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crio! Take
P.P.
NO Tees
30 August 1978
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ATTORNEY GENERAL
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Noted P.P. 393
3018
1. In his telegram number 976 Denys Roberts said that consideration was being given to the possibility of appointing a serving member of the Hong Kong judiciary as Hobley's successor, and asked us to consult the Lord Chancellor's Office about the proprietary of such an appoint- ment, bearing in mind that candidates from the Bench would probably want an assurance that they could return there after a few years as Attorney General.
2. Our departmental legal adviser was very doubtful about this idea and I am sorry to say that his reservations are shared by the Permanent Secretary to the Lord Chancellor. I attach a copy of a letter from him which speaks for itself.
3. This leaves us very short of candidates. You mentioned when you were here that you intended to ask Denys Roberts to make the search for a new Attorney General his first priority once he had stepped down as Chief Secretary. You also said you would ask him to consider the possibility of securing the services of one of the British QCs who visit Hong Kong regularly and are familiar with the territory and its problems. If there are any preliminary enquiries you or Denys would like us to make before he comes here perhaps you would let us know.
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bec: Mr Rushford
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EXEMPTION No 40
RJT McLaren
Hong Kong and General Department
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