TNAG-1152-FCO40-1432-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-Commonwealth-1982 — Page 125

CODE 18.77

Mr Goldsmith

HKK02214.

Af318

1983 COMMONWEALTH LAW MINISTERS' MEETING

Refcience.

HCM 371/1

Pr wh1318

See (34)

1. On 41 Avijust attended a meeting in the Law Officers' Department to discuss arrangements for next year's meeting in Sri Lanka of Commonwealth Law Ministers (CLMM). The Legal Secretary (Mr Nursaw) chaired the meeting which was attended by representatives of interested Whitehall Departments, our departmental legal adviser and a representative from N & TD.

2. Mr Nursaw agreed to be responsible for replying to the Commonwealth Secretary-General's circular letter no. 44/82 of 10 June to Commonwealth Law Ministers. He indicated that the timing proposed by the Secretariat, 14 - 18 February was acceptable. It at present seemed likely that the British delegation would be composed of the Attorney-General and the Lord Advocate (with probably one supporting official each) and the Attorney-General of Hong Kong The Lord Chancellor has not yet been asked whether he wishes to attend, but in the opinion of his office he was unlikely to wish to do so). The meeting agreed that the reply to Mr Ramphal's circular would, inter alia, stress our willingness to see discussion at Sri Lanka of the question of mutual assistance in the administration of justice (item 5(h) in your minute of 23 July to Sir I Sinclair).

3. We ran through the items listed in paragraph 5 of your minute, according departmental responsibility for briefing on each. On behalf of the FCO, Mr Fifoot and I assumed lead responsibility for the items at 5(1) (the establishment of a special unit within the Secretariat for the promotion of human rights - on which we must in due course ask UND for a brief) and 5(m) (the special legal needs of small states to which we shall look to UN Dept (B) ODA). We expressed, on behalf of the ODA, an interest in the item at 5(r) (problems in the recruitment of training and retention of law draftsmen).

4.

On behalf of CCD, I also assumed responsibility for the distribution within Whitehall of the papers dependent upon this meeting that will in due course flow from the Commonwealth Secretariat (I asked for a distribution list nearer the time) and for liaison with our High Commission in Colombo. Mr Fifoot said that we were prepared to accept responsibility for booking accommodation in Sri Lanka (no doubt the Secretariat will send us booking forms) but not for flight reservations, which must be the responsibility of individual private offices.

/5.

Mr Nursaw