TNAG-1210-FCO40-1513-Hong-Kong-laws-on-homosexuality-employment-of-homosexuals-wi-1982 — Page 108

L'

TREASURY

SOLICITOR

Our reference A.81/318/JBB

Your reference HKK 380/1

R D Clift Esq

Entin som Noted. Af

Hong Kong & General Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1

Sear bluft,

BLAKER v INGRAMS AND OTHERS

251,

25/1182.

Matthew Parker Street London SW1H 9NN

Telegrams Proctorex London SW1

SWITCHBOARD 01-233 3000 Telephones

DIRECT LINE 01-233 7694 Telex 917564

22nd January 1982

Hkk 380/2

EIVED IN REGSTRY NO. 5.

25 JAN

6

See (40

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

сав

No

2611

Af

HIT 380/, with (13A)

1981

Thank you for your letter of the 15th January 1982 with enclosed

copy letter from the Crown Solicitor in Hong Kong.

I note that he now agrees that public interest immunity may have to be

claimed for certain documents to which he refers at the bottom of the

second page of his letter. I returned all my papers In this matter to the Law Officers Department with my letter of the 19th June 1981, and

so I shall not make any comment about whether or not a claim might properly be made for these documents. However, I have spoken to Peter Carter-Ruck

about this case, and he has told me the present position.

41

It seems that the case is in the list for hearing before a jury in the

High Court on the 25th January. It is not now likely that the case will be

heard on Monday but, clearly, we are not far from trial. Earlier this week, the solicitors acting for Private Eye issued a summons seeking additional

documents from Mr Blaker which they allege are in his physical possession. Some of these may include documents falling within the class to which the Crown Solicitor refers in his letter to you, and I have asked Mr Carter-

Ruck to let me have a copy of the summons as well as copies of the pleadings

in the action, and to keep me informed of the progress of the action.

He

tells me that in his view Private Eye will not seek to issue a subpoena duces tecum against the Foreign Secretary or a nominee in your Department,

but I think it would be helpful if we are ready with the name of someone

who might attend Court during the course of the action to produce those documents in respect of which no claim of public interest immunity is made.

1