John B. Mortimer
{{Short description|Judge in Hong Kong (born 1931)}}
{{About|the judge|the writer|John Mortimer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable Mr Justice
| name = John Barry Mortimer
| honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=HKG|GBS}}, {{postnominals|country=BRN|SPMB}}, {{postnominals|country=GBR|OBE}}, {{postnominals|KC}}
| image =
| imagesize =
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| office = President of the Court of Appeal of Brunei Darussalam
| term_start = 2010
| term_end = 2018
| predecessor = Sir Noel Power
| successor = Michael Burrell
| appointer =
| office2 = Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam
| term_start2 = 2005
| term_end2 = 2010
| nominator2 =
| appointer2 =
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| office3 = Non-Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong
| term_start3 = 1997
| term_end3 = 2015
| office4 = Vice President of the Court of Appeal of Hong Kong
| term_start4 = 1997
| term_end4 = 1999
| office5 = Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of Hong Kong
| term_start5 = 1993
| term_end5 = 1997
| office6 = Judge of the High Court of Hong Kong
| term_start6 = 1985
| term_end6 = 1993
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1931|8|7}}
| birth_place = United Kingdom
| nationality =
| spouse =
| relations =
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| alma_mater = Emmanuel College, Cambridge
}}
John Barry Mortimer, GBS, SPMB, OBE, KC ({{zh|c=馬天敏}}; born 7 August 1931) is a British barrister who has held senior judicial appointments in Hong Kong and Brunei Darussalam.
Early life and education
Mortimer was born in the United Kingdom in 1931. He was educated at St Peter's School, York.{{cite web|url=https://www.middletemple.org.uk/bencher-persons-view?cid=31807 |title=Masters of the Bench: The Hon Barry Mortimer GBS OBE QC |publisher=Middle Temple}} He graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge with a BA in 1955.{{cite web|url=http://www.hkcfa.hk/en/about/who/judges/former/index_id_52.html |title=Mr John Barry MORTIMER, GBS |publisher=Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal}}
Legal career
Mortimer was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in England in 1956. He took silk in 1971. He was elected a Bencher of the Middle Temple in 1981.
Judicial career
In 1985, Mortimer was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Hong Kong.
From 1989 to 1995, Mortimer was a member of the Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong.{{cite web|url=https://www.hkreform.gov.hk/en/members/former_members.htm |title=Commission members & staff |publisher=The Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong}}
In 1993, Mortimer was appointed a Justice of Appeal, and in 1997 became Vice President of the Court of Appeal of Hong Kong (a position in which he served until he retired from the Court of Appeal in 1999). Between 1997 and 2015, he was a Non-Permanent Judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.
In 2002, Mortimer was elected as a Senior Bencher of the Middle Temple.
In 2005, Mortimer was appointed as a Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam.{{cite web|url=http://www.information.gov.bn/PublishingImages/SitePages/Brunei%20Darussalam%20Newsletter%202005/BD%20APR%2005.pdf |title=New appointments at Supreme Court |publisher=Brunei Darussalam Prime Minister's Office (Department of Information) |date=2005-04-27}} Between 2010 and 2018, Mortimer served as President of the Court of Appeal of Brunei Darussalam.{{cite web|url=http://www.information.gov.bn/PublishingImages/SitePages/Brunei%20Darussalam%20Newsletter%202010/BD%20MAY%202010.pdf |title=The Deputy Sultan attends the swearing-in of new judges |publisher=Brunei Darussalam Prime Minister's Office (Department of Information) |date=2010-05-08}}
=Honours=
In 1999, Mortimer was awarded the Golden Bauhinia Star by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong.
On retirement from the bench in 2018, Mortimer was awarded the Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei (First Class) by the Sultan of Brunei.{{cite web|url=http://judiciary.gov.bn/Lists/News/DispForm.aspx?ID=57 |title=His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam consented to bestow state decorations to two members of the Judiciary |publisher=State Judiciary Department, Brunei Darussalam |date=2018-07-18}}
In the 2019 New Year Honours, Mortimer was appointed OBE for services to law by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.{{cite web|url=http://www.judiciary.gov.bn/Lists/News/DispForm.aspx?ID=89 |title=DSP John Barry Mortimer awarded O.B.E. |publisher=State Judiciary Department, Brunei Darussalam |date=2019-03-25}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/3177588|title = John MORTIMER | Order of the British Empire | the Gazette}}https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/767769/DSO_NY19_CH___BE_HMTQ.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}
References
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{{s-start}}
{{s-prec}}
{{s-before|before = Michael Suen
Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star}}
{{s-ttl|title = Hong Kong order of precedence
Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star}}
{{s-aft|after = Antony Leung
Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star}}
{{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mortimer, John B.}}
Category:People educated at St Peter's School, York
Category:Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Category:Justices of the Court of Final Appeal (Hong Kong)
Category:Justices of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong
Category:Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star
Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Category:English King's Counsel
Category:20th-century King's Counsel
Category:21st-century King's Counsel