- Henry Litton
Henry Litton CBE, GBM (Chinese transliteration: 列顯倫法官) (b. 1934) is a retired
judge inHong Kong .Born into a Eurasian family in Hong Kong, Henry Litton excelled in school during his early years in
England and was educated inKing's College, Taunton andMerton College, Oxford , where he graduated with honors injurisprudence .After passing the
Bar exam in 1959, Litton entered into private practice in Hong Kong where he was eminently successful as a trial lawyer. He was appointedQueen's Counsel in 1970 and co-founded theHong Kong Law Journal withGerald de Basto Q.C., another localbarrister . He also served as Chairman of the Bar from 1971 to 1973, from 1977 to 1980 and again from 1983 to 1985.Litton was appointed in 1989 an Officer of the Most Excellent
Order of the British Empire for his contribution to the law and was elevated to the bench in 1992 as a Justice of Appeal.He rose steadily through the ranks, becoming Vice President of the Court of Appeal in 1995 and a Permanent Judge of the
Court of Final Appeal (Hong Kong'scourt of last resort ) in 1997, when British colonial rule in Hong Kong ended and China resumed its sovereignty over the region.He assumed senior status three years later, citing personal reasons. He still hears cases on a part-time basis as a non-permanent judge of the Court he served.
Mr. Justice Litton is known to be a great advocate of
environmentalism ; his wifeLinda Siddall was a founder and Director ofFriends of the Earth (HK) . Litton is also an avid player oftennis .
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