Clare-Marie Beeson
{{short description|New Zealand-born lawyer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable Madam Justice
| name = Claire-Marie Beeson
| honorific-suffix = SBS
| office = Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court
| term_start = 1 December 1997
| term_end = September 2013
| office2 = Chief District Judge
| term_start2 = 7 January 1997
| term_end2 = 30 November 1997
| birth_date = 1948
| birth_place = New Zealand
| nationality =
| spouse = Ian Wingfield
| relations =
| children =
| alma_mater =
}}
{{Chinese
|order=ts
|t=貝珊
|s=贝珊
|j=bui3 saan1
|p=Bèi Shān
}}
Clare-Marie Beeson, SBS ({{zh|order=ts|t=貝珊}}) is a New Zealand-born lawyer who served as a judge in the Hong Kong Judiciary for over 29 years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201307/01/P201306300691.htm|title=2013 Honours List|website=www.info.gov.hk|access-date=2019-04-27}}
Early life and career
Beeson was born in 1948 in New Zealand. She was admitted as a solicitor and barrister in New Zealand in 1972 and was in private practice.
In 1975, she joined the Hong Kong Legal Department as Crown Counsel and was promoted to Senior Crown Counsel in 1980.Daily Information Bulletin, Hong Kong Government Information Services, Jan 7, 1997
Judicial career
Beeson joined the Hong Kong Judiciary as a magistrate in 1984 and became principal magistrate in 1990. She was appointed a District Court judge in 1991. On 7 January 1997, Beeson was appointed Chief District Judge, a position she had held in an acting capacity since 1995. Her appointment was described by the South China Morning Post as "controversial", citing previous allegations that she had tried to interfere with another judge's trial. An internal Judiciary inquiry later cleared her of wrongdoing in September 1996.{{Cite web |date=2025-02-08 |title=Controversial judge given top post {{!}} South China Morning Post |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250208144103/https://www.scmp.com/article/180763/controversial-judge-given-top-post |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=web.archive.org}}
On 1 December 1997, Beeson moved from her position as Chief District Judge to the Court of First Instance of the High Court of Hong Kong.{{cite web |url=https://www.judiciary.hk/doc/en/publications/jorcr_1997to2002.pdf |title=Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission Report (1997-2002) |page=26}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/article/221056/former-dpp-among-new-judges|title=Former DPP among new judges|date=29 November 1997|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=2019-04-27}}
In 2013, Beeson retired from the bench. She was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star for her service in the Hong Kong Judiciary, particularly for her work presiding over serious criminal cases in the High Court.{{Cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.hk/en/publications/annu_rept_2013/eng/list_of_judge.html|title=List of Judges and Judicial Officers|website=www.judiciary.hk|access-date=2019-04-27}}
Between 2014 and 2016, Beeson sat as a Deputy Judge of the High Court of Hong Kong.[https://www.gld.gov.hk/egazette/pdf/20141805/egn20141805526.pdf "G.N. 526"] Hong Kong Government Gazette (No. 5, Vol. 18, 30 January 2014)
Personal life
Beeson is married to Ian Wingfield, former Solicitor-General of Hong Kong.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/news/still-a-law-unto-itself/news-story/ae337a58979cdd3d569174ef139e085a|title=Still a law unto itself|date=2007-06-28|website=www.theaustralian.com.au|access-date=2019-04-27}} They have two daughters, Clarissa and Clementine Beeson.Birth Notice, South China Morning Post, Dec 28, 1991
References
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