TNAG-1455-FCO40-1978-Hong-Kong-Letters-Patent-amendments-1986 — Page 85

GRS 500 CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1624

OF 280620Z MAY 86

کے

CONFIDENTIAL

Akk 124/3

TOP COPY

YOUR TELNO 870: AMENDMENTS TO LETTERS PATENT

A1 1986

FOLLOWING ARE OUR COMMENTS ON THE DRAFTS ENCLOSED WITH LEEKS' LETTER HKK 011/10 OF 1 MAY TO CRAWFORD:

A) UNDERLINE NEXT TWO WORDS LETTERS PATENT

4) ARTICLE 1(3). WE SEE NO PARTICULAR NEED TO DEFER THE COMING

INTO OPERATION OF ARTICLE 2 UNTIL SEPTEMBER. OUR ONLY CONCERN IS TO DEFER THE DATE UNTIL THE END OF THE CURRENT SESSION WHICH WILL BE NO LATER THAN 6 AUGUST AND PROBABLY ON 30 JULY. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED BY DELAYING THE DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE. (GIVEN THAT ROYAL APPROVAL 4S UNLIKELY BEFORE LATE JULY THIS SHOULD

NOT BE DIFFICULT.)

ARTICLE 2(2). WE DO NOT SEE HOW THE AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VI CAN AFFECT THE VALIDITY OF APPOINTMENTS MADE UNDER THE EXISTING AUTHORITY. SUCH A PROVISION HAS NOT BEEN THOUGHT NECESSARY ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS WHEN WE HAVE ADJUSTED THE NUMBER OF OFFICIAL MEMBERS. WE SUGGEST DELETION OF THIS ARTICLE.

I) ARTICLES 2 AND 3. FOR CONSISTENCY WITH THE STYLE OF PREVIOUS

AMENDMENTS, WE SUGGEST THAT THESE ARTICLES SHOULD NOW READ:

2. ARTICLE V(1)(C) OF THE PRINCIPAL LETTERS PATENT IS AMENDED BY DELETING 'SEVEN'' AND SUBSTITUTING THE FOLLOWING: ''ELEVEN''

3. ARTICLE X(1) OF THE PRINCIPAL LETTERS PATENT IS AMENDED BY DELETING IN OUR NAME AND''.

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B) UNDERLINE NEXT TWO WORDS ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS

H) WE SEE NO REASON WHY THESE INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD NOT COME INTO EFFECT ON THE SAME DATE AS THE AMENDMENTS TO THE LETTERS PATENT (AND BE SUBMITTED TO THE PRIVY COUNCIL IN JULY). INSTRUCTION 1(3) COULD THEREFORE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS SHALL BE PUBLISHED IN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE AND SHALL COME INTO OPERATION UPON THE DATE OF SUCH PUBLICATION.'

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*H) INSTRUCTION 2. AT THIS STAGE WE DO NOT WISH TO PROVIDE FOR

EQUALITY AS BETWEEN ENGLISH AND CHINESE LANGUAGE VERSIONS. WE MUST FIRST BE SURE THAT WHAT WE ARE AIMING AT CAN BE ACHIEVED AND WILL BE ACCEPTED. IN DUE COURSE THE POINT CAN BE LEGISLATED FOR IN HONG KONG. WE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING AMENDING

CONFIDENTIAL

INSTRUCTION