TNAG-2652-FCO40-3845-Extradition-cases-from-the-UK-and-France-to-Hong-Kong-Lorrai-1992 — Page 79

HKD 384

28

10 MAR 1992

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From:

Date:

G W Hewitt

SEAD

9 March 1992

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A

TIT

Mr Burns

PS/Lord Caithness

MALAYSIA: LORRAIN OSMAN

Problem

Cc:

Sir John Coles

ZB

Mr Ricketts, HKD

Mr Parker, Legal Advisers

Mr Smith, C7 Division,

Home Office

Reflects our in fint. M Mari's

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pa.

10/3

9/mö

1 The journalist interested in the Osman case, Kevin Cahill, has

written a further raft of letters to FCO officials, the Secretary of

State and the Prime Minister. He hopes to make the case an election issue. What response should be given and at what level?

Recommendation

2 I recommend that a reply is sent at departmental level noting

only that Osman's seventh habeas corpus application has been

rejected and that the court decided not to make the FCO a party to the proceedings. I submit a draft.

3 HKD, Legal Advisers and the Home Office concur.

Background

4 The background to Osman's seventh application for a writ of habeas corpus is given in Mr Rickett's submission of 20 February. The application, together with Osman's associated application for judicial review, was dismissed by the Divisional Court on 28

February. The court did not uphold a submission by the Hong Kong Government that the proceedings were an abuse of the process.

MA3 ABB

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