John B. Mortimer


John Barry Mortimer, GBS, SPMB, OBE, QC is a senior judge.

Early life and education

Mortimer was born in the United Kingdom in 1931. He was educated at St Peter's School, York. He graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge with a BA in 1955.

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.
In 1993, Mortimer was appointed a Justice of Appeal, and in 1997 became Vice President of the Court of Appeal of Hong Kong. Between 1997 and 2015, he was a Non-Permanent Judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.
In 1999, Mortimer was awarded the Golden Bauhinia Star by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong.
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. Between 2010 and 2018, Mortimer served as President of the Court of Appeal of Brunei Darussalam.
On retirement from the bench in 2018, Mortimer was awarded the Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei by the Sultan of Brunei.
In the 2019 New Year Honours, Mortimer was awarded an OBE for services to law by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.