TNAG-2663-FCO40-3859-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-Consulate-General.-With-photogra-1992 — Page 19

Miss Brooks

Legal Counsellor

Q217

Reference

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FUTURE CONSULATE-GENERAL HONG KONG: STAFFING

1.

When the Steering Committee for the future Consulate-General in Hong Kong met last month, it noted a suggestion by the Hong Kong Consultative Committee that there might be justification for posting a legal officer to the future Consulate-General (one possibility would be to employ a former employee of HKG). It was agreed that this question needed to be looked at further with Legal Advisers. The Hong Kong Coordinating Committee gave the following reasons for their suggestion:

"Delicate legal work during the transition period could justify posting of one legal officer to the future Consulate-General. The JLG would not by then have access to legal advice from HKG."

2. I would welcome your views on this. At first sight, it seems to me that creating a position for a legal adviser in the future Consulate-General would be difficult to justify. Few posts have such a position. However, in the special circumstances prevailing in Hong Kong, I can see that there might be merit in pursuing this further.

Msames Jows.

Deborah Barnes Jones

Hong Kong Department

WH 312

270 2068

}

21 December 1992

HICD 406/1

con.gen.NAT.JRB

CODE 18.77

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