TNAG-1866-FCO40-2650-Future-of-Hong-Kong-legal-issues-1989 — Page 40

CONFIDENTIAL

میر

(C)

(D)

before?

Abolition of Appeals to the Privy Council

No action is needed at present. But once Hong Kong really get going with detailed work on a Court of Final Appeal they should be reminded of Mr Steel's minute of 22 July 1987. And at that time we ourselves will have to prepare the necessary draft legislation referred to in Mr Steel's minute. At the moment I tend to the view that we should go for an Act of Parliament as suggested in paragraph 11(d) of Mr Steel's minute. But how we proceed will depend partly on the views of Parliamentary Counsel. Please also see paragraph 1 of Mr Whomersley's attached minute of 17 January to me.

Legal Arrangements between the UK and Hong Kong: The UK Perspective

I doubt whether we need to do anything this year but I have, at this moment, little feel for this and I think we may need to start looking at it well by 1995. The procedure outlined in paragraph 7(ii) of Mr Steel's minute of 6 August 1987 will be a very time-consuming one.

If we are going to deal with it efficiently, there should ideally be one officer in charge of the operation for the whole period in question (say mid-1994 to mid-1997). See also Mr Whomersley's minute of 17 January (para 2).

2. These papers (including Mr Whomersley's minute of 17 January 1989) should, of course, continue to be brought up at the beginning of each year.

Hounds

D M Edwards

CONFIDENTIAL