Charles Ching

{{short description|Judge in Hong Kong}}

{{EngvarB|date=June 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{More citations needed|date=April 2010}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific_prefix=The Honourable

|name=Charles Ching

|honorific_suffix={{Post-nominals|country=HKG|size=100%|GBM|QC|SC}}

|native_name = {{nobold|沈澄}}

|native_name_lang = zh-hk

|office= Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal

|term_start= 1 July 1997

|term_end= 6 October 2000

|1blankname=Chief Justice

|1namedata=Andrew Li

|alongside=Henry Litton (1997–2000), Kemal Bokhary and Patrick Chan (2000)

|predecessor=Court Established

|successor= Robert Ribeiro

|office1=Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association

|term_start1=January 1975

|term_end1=January 1977

|predecessor1= Archie Zimmern

|successor1=Henry Litton

|education= King's College, Taunton

|alma_mater= University College, Oxford (MA)

|occupation= Barrister-at-law

|birth_date={{birth date|1935|10|7|df=y}}

|birth_place= Hong Kong

|death_date={{death date and age|2000|11|30|1935|10|7|df=y}}

|death_place=Hong Kong

|nationality=Australian

|spouse=

}}

Charles Arthur Ching {{Post-nominals|country=HKG|GBM|QC|SC}} ({{lang-zh|t=沈澄}}, 7 October 1935http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr99-00/english/panels/ajls/papers/2387e04.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}–30 November 2000{{cite news|title=Judge dies weeks after retirement|url=http://www.scmp.com/article/332834/judge-dies-weeks-after-retirement|accessdate=21 January 2018|work=South China Morning Post}}) was a judge in Hong Kong.

Born Charles Arthur Ching into an intellectual family in Hong Kong, Ching was educated in Hong Kong and England. He was a scholar both at King's College, Taunton and at University College, Oxford,{{cite web|title=Former Judges – Mr Charles Arthur CHING, GBM (Deceased)|url=http://www.hkcfa.hk/en/about/who/judges/former/index_id_35.html|publisher=Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal|accessdate=21 January 2018}} where he graduated with honours in jurisprudence.

After passing his bar exam in 1959, Ching commenced his practice of law in Hong Kong, and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1974. During this period, he was regarded by some as the most successful barrister in Hong Kong's history.

Ching was later appointed to the Court of Appeal in 1995 and the Court of Final Appeal in 1997, where he served with distinction. He resigned in 2000 for health reasons and died soon after. A scholarship named after him was set up by the Hong Kong Bar Association. Throughout his career both as advocate and as judge Mr. Justice Ching was an advocate for the merging of the legal professions in Hong Kong (barristers and solicitors).