12 March 1992
CONFIDENTIAL
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
Ра
Mr Stone
Good Hought
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16/3 Foreign &
Commonwealth
Office
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Lord Wilson of Tillyorn GCMG HONG KONG HKA 373/1
Dear Governor,
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London SWIA 2AH
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REPORTS ON THE JUDICIARY
लिड
1573
Thank you for your letter of 20 January enclosing reports on members of the Judiciary.
I note that you wish to take forward the question of the Chief Justice up to and beyond 1997. We stand ready to help in any way we can on that. I also raised briefly with you at one of our discussions in Hong Kong last week the issue of appointing eminent Commonwealth judges to serve as Hong Kong judges. I was struck in reading the reports on the Judiciary enclosed with your letter by the number of experienced judges who are likely to retire or leave over the next 18 months. Simon Ip made a similar comment to Lord Caithness at the latter's discussion with OMELCO.
You told me that the Chief Justice was pursuing the question of identifying some senior Commonwealth judges. If you or he thought at any stage that an intervention from here with the Lord Chancellor's Department would be useful, we would be happy to set that in hand. I have had a word privately with the Legal Advisers here about any other possible avenues. They mentioned an ODA pool of judges, although I doubt that this will yield the sort of senior figure you would be looking for. Our Legal Advisers have also obtained a list of retired circuit judges in the UK. But most, if not all, are over 65 and again therefore probably not suitable.
My impression is that to secure the services of appropriately senior judges, approaches at the level of Chief Justice will be needed, and that none of the other avenues suggested by our Legal Advisers will be worthwhile. please let me know if you would like us to arrange a Ministerial intervention with the Lord Chancellor.
But
Yes sincerel
Peter Richath
PF Ricketts
MOPAEV
CONFIDENTIAL STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
Blind Cages
BI I Coles
Mr Buras
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