CONFIDENTIAL
FUTURE ATTORNEYS GENERAL (WHO WILL NO LONGER BE SUPPORTED BY A SECOND LAW OFFICER) OF DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITY IN THESE FIELDS, THE HOLDERS OF THESE POSTS WILL BE MEN WHO ARE BOTH EXPERIENCED LAWYERS IN THE PARTICULAR FIELDS AND EXPERIENCED IN HONG KONG TO THE EXTENT, I BELIEVE, THAT A FUTURE ATTORNEY GENERAL NEED NOT HAVE SPECIALISED EXPERIENCE IN ANY ONE OF THOSE FIELDS. HE WILL IN FUTURE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAJOR POLICY, AND MAJOR MANAGEMENT ISSUES, AND THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS ARE INTENDED TO ENSURE THAT HE HAS ADEQUATE TIME TO DEVOTE HIMSELF TO KEY ISSUES.
9. NEVERTHELESS, WE NEED A LAWYER WITH THE WIDEST POSSIBLE LEGAL EXPERIENCE, WHILST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE ARE NOT LIKELY TO
FIND ONE WITH EXPERIENCE IN ALL 3 MAIN FIELDS. THAT IS SOMETHING WE ACCEPT, AND IT WILL ULTIMATELY BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN WEIGHING ONE CANDIDATE AGAINST ANOTHER.
10. I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT AS BETWEEN EXPERIENCE IN THE CRIMINAL
LAW AND EXPERIENCE ON THE CIVIL SIDE, THE EMPHASIS SHOULD BE ON THE CIVIL SIDE.
11. WE ALSO NEED A LAWYER WITH MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE NOT EASY
TO FIND. MY OFFICE NOW HAS AN ESTABLISHMENT OF 115 LAWYERS WITH A LARGE SUPPORTING STAFF. THE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS ARE CONSIDERABLE.
I HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT THE REORGANISATION OF MY OFFICE WILL RESULT IN A MARKED DEVOLUTION OF DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITY FOR MANAGEMENT, BUT ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN APPOINTMENT AS ATTORNEY GENERAL SHOULD REALISE THAT HE WILL NEED TO MONITOR CONSTANTLY JUST WHAT IS GOING ON IN A LARGE OFFICE AND WILL CERTAINLY NEED TO DEVELOP MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE IF HE DOES NOT ALREADY POSSESS IT.
12. SO MUCH FOR THE PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND. AND I SHOULD PERMAPS ADD (PROBABLY SURPRISINGLY TO YOU) THAT THE ONLY EXPERTISE WHICH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL NOT USE IS ADVOCACY.
HIS OTHER RESPONSIBLITIES ARE SUCH THAT HE SIMPLY DOES NOT HAVE TIME FOR COURT APPEARANCES.
13. AS FAR AS PERSONAL QUALITIES ARE CONCERNED, WE ARE
LOOKING FOR SOMEONE OF ABOUT 48-52 YEARS OF AGE, WITH AT LEAST 20 YEARS' STANDING AT THE BAR, WE NEED A MAN OF AUTHORITY AND STRONG CHARACTER, WHO WILL REMAIN UNRIFFZ
-- 3 - CONFIDENTIAL
/STRONG
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