TNAG-2565-FCO40-3750-Hong-Kong-(Appeals)-Bill-1992 — Page 15

HKC 37018

AFR 1992

4 APR 12

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

ла

Appeals ствуй

Mh Bunk

Sir John Cole

Thank

کارما

you.

Tim Simo

13/4

(this has been resolved to the

3

HK) (Fr. Michelle)

654

مشکوت

we hall now bind to the

bill in the forthcoming Legiclative Programe

contingency

basins and

the wole 15.

flu

From:

Sir John Coles

SIR JOHN COLES

Date:

10 April 1992

Cc:

PS/PUS satisfaction of Sir John (des)

Ρ

Private Secretary

PS/Mr Garel-Jones Mr Broomfield

Mr Crowe

Mr Fairweather

Mr Burns

Mr Jay

Mr Goodenough

Mr Chamberlain

Mr Eaton

Mr Cox, HKD

LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMME: HONG KONG COURT OF FINAL APPEAL

4

1.

2.

Mr Berman's minute of 9 April refers.

I am not at all sure that it is right to advise a Foreign Secretary to prevail upon his colleagues to get the question of the Court of Final Appeal Enabling Bill over and done with at an early stage of the new Parliament.

3.

The Court remains a controversial matter in Hong Kong. It will only come into being if LEGCO can be persuaded to enact legislation. We cannot be sure that they will, especially given the rapidly changing character of LEGCO. Our present policy is to keep the matter out of the headlines and hope that in time our arguments will make the necessary impression on LEGCO.

4.

If Ministers were to introduce a Bill early in the next Parliament it might not get an easy ride. The opposition in Hong Kong to the arrangements proposed for the Court could easily be reflected here. The debate could well stir up Hong Kong opinion at a time when all the nervousness over a new Governor and other issues will be present.

APRABH

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

/5.

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