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ESSENTIAL THAT HE SHOULD BE OF STAR QUALITY.
6. MR LEGG SAID THAT THIS WAS USEFUL TO THEM IN CONSIDERING POSSIBLE CANDIDATES. HE DISTINGUISHED TWO POSSIBLE REQUIREMENTS IN HONG KONG:
ONE (OR PERHAPS TWO) JUDGES WHO WERE OF THE CALIBRE TO BECOME JUDGES ON THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL. FOR THIS, ONE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR JUDGES WHO WERE ALREADY ON THE HIGH COURT HERE. FROM WHAT SIR JOHN COLES SAID, IT WAS PERHAPS NOT ESSENTIAL THAT THEY WERE OF BRITISH COURT OF APPEAL CALIBRE. ONE WHO CAME TO MIND IMMEDIATELY WAS MR CHARLES MANTEL, WHO HAD SERVED BRIEFLY IN HONG KONG AND WHO WAS NOW ON THE HIGH COURT HERE.
CANDIDATES TO BEEF UP THE HONG KONG HIGH COURT. THESE NEED NOT BE OF THE CALIBRE TO GO ON TO THE COURT OF APPEAL IN HONG KONG, THOUGH SHOULD CLEARLY BE PEOPLE WHO WOULD GIVE A GOOD ACCOUNT OF THEMSELVES IN HONG KONG. IF THIS WAS A REQUIREMENT, IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO FILL IT BY RECRUITING GOOD BRITISH QC'S. ALTHOUGH THESE PEOPLE WOULD NOT HAVE A JUDICIAL TRACK RECORD, THE LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT KNEW SOME OF THEM WELL AND COULD GIVE ADVICE.
7. MR LEGG THOUGHT THAT FOR THOSE IN THE SECOND CATEGORY, IT MIGHT BE EASIEST FOR HONG KONG TO RECRUIT DIRECT AS THEY HAD DONE IN THE PAST. HIS DEPARTMENT WOULD CONCENTRATE ON FINDING ONE OR TWO CANDIDATES TO FILL THE FIRST REQUIREMENT. TALL ORDER BUT NOT, HE REPEATED, AN IMPOSSIBLE ONE.
THIS WAS A
8. IT WAS AGREED THAT, IN ORDER TO TAKE THINGS FORWARD, ON THE FIRST CATEGORY, WE SHOULD LET THE LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT HAVE THE FOLLOWING DETAILS QUICKLY:
WHETHER THE APPOINTMENT WOULD BE IN THE FIRST PLACE TO THE HIGH COURT OR TO THE COURT OF APPEAL:
WHAT THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE WOULD BE, INCLUDING THOSE ENVISAGED FOR COURT OF FINAL APPEAL JUDGES:
HOW LONG APPOINTMENTS WOULD BE FOR. WE SAID THAT WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR THE JUDGES CONCERNED TO SERVE IN HONG KONG BEYOND 1997, SAY TO THE YEAR 2000. IS THIS RIGHT?
9. IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF YOU COULD ARRANGE FOR US TO RECEIVE INFORMATION ON THESE POINTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE WILL USE THIS TO
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