FO371-23523 — Page 230

Page 230

Page 230

180

2.

is generally no good, as she is left without knowledge of his

plans and no other lawyer is appointed to take his place.

Last year for a whole fortnight inJuly I could not get in

touch and the result was that important public business was

delayed. The same thing occured again for some six days quite

recently. This causes strong suspicion!

Priestwood unlike other Crown advocates I have

Known is a man I never seem to meet socially. The result is

that we cannot be said to be in close touch. The dificulty,

however, of making a change is that Priestwood would be severe-

ly hit financially, if he lost the Crown Advocateship which

is worth £900 a year and the prestige of the post must

considerably help his private practice.

If the Government decide to make a change, the best

man to appoint would be John McNeill of Hansons. He acted as

Crown Advocate in 1937 and gave great satisfaction.

I would like to make the suggestion that the Judge

should be consulted, because I feel that he might possibly

take a more lenient view than mine. But of course since I

have been here there have been no important Crown cases in the

not see so much of Supreme Court and therefore the Judge does

the Crown Advocate's work as the Consul-eneral does.

I

Page 230

Page 230

Page 230Page 231