TNAG-2878-FCO40-4150-Hong-Kong-Court-of-Final-Appeal-1993 — Page 21

CONFIDENTIAL

XCX(93)34

(c) Retirement Age of Permanent Judges

27

We have previously proposed, and this Council has agreed, that the retirement age of permanent judges of the CFA should be 65, extendable to 70, in line with the retirement age for Supreme Court judges. In order to allow greater flexibility in the trawl for candidates, we now recommend that the retirement age be raised to 70, with the power of the Governor (later the Chief Executive), on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, to extend to 75 in individual cases. As this proposal involves raising the retirement age to 70 instead of 65 as agreed with the Chinese, this will need discussion with the Chinese.

PUBLICITY

28

We do not propose any publicity at this stage. But in response to recent press enquiries, we have deployed the line to take at Annex G. We propose to continue with this line.

ATTENDANCE

Mr N. NG

Mr J.R.A. HANRATTY

Mr P. LAI

Director of Administration

Law Officer (International Law)

Deputy Secretary (Constitutional Affairs)

21 July 1993

[CSO/ADM/SCR 4/3222/85(93) Pt 14]

COUNCIL CHAMBER

Executive Council