James Beveridge Thomson

For other people named James Thomson, see James Thomson (disambiguation).

Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Sir James Beveridge Thomson SMN(K) PMN(K) Kt KBE
File:Ketua Hakim Negara-1.jpg
1st Lord President of the Federal Court
In office 16 September 1963 – 31 May 1966
Preceded by	himself (as Chief Justice of the Federation of Malaya)
Succeeded by	Syed Sheh Hassan Barakbah
Chief Justice of the Federation of Malaya
In office 31 August 1957 – 16 September 1963
Preceded by	Post created
Succeeded by	himself (as Lord President of the Federal Court)
Chief Justice of Fiji and Chief Judicial Commissioner for the Western Pacific
In office 1949–1953
Preceded by	Claud Seton
Succeeded by	Ragnar Hyne
Chief Justice of Tonga
In office 1949–1953
Succeeded by	William Desmond Care
Personal details
Born	(1902-03-24)24 March 1902 Clydebank, Scotland
Died	31 March 1983(1983-03-31) (aged 81)
Spouse(s)	Toh Puan Florence Adams, Lady Thomson

Sir James Beveridge Thomson (24 March 1902 – 31 March 1983), was a Scottish barrister who was the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Malaysia. He was also Chief Justice of Fiji.

Life

Born in Clydebank, Scotland, he attended George Watson's College and graduated from the University of Edinburgh with first class honours in history.

He was called to the English Bar (Middle Temple) in 1929. He was a resident magistrate in Northern Rhodesia, appointed Puisne Judge, Fiji and Western Pacific, in 1945, and Puisne Judge in Malaya in 1947. He was Chief Justice of Fiji (and ex officio Chief Judicial Commissioner for the Western Pacific) 1949–1953, and Chief Justice of Tonga. He was called to the Scottish Bar in 1955.

From 1953, Thomson was back in Malaya. He was a judge in the High Court in Ipoh, Perak, from 1953 to 1957. In 1957, he was appointed as Chief Justice of Malaya, receiving a knighthood in 1959. After the formation of Malaysia in September 1963, Thomson served as its first Lord President of the Federal Court until May 1966. He was appointed KBE in 1966.

Family life

He married Dr Florence Adams, MRCP (Eng.), LRCP (Lond.). After Sir James Thomson's knighthood in 1959, she was known as Toh Puan Datin Lady Florence Adams Thomson. She was a practising physician, working in Northern Rhodesia, where her husband was Resident Magistrate, and was Medical Officer in Fiji. During their time in Malaysia, she became chief nutritionist at the Institute of Medical Research in Kuala Lumpur, carrying out research and authoring a number of articles on child nutrition in Malaysia. When in Scotland, and after their retirement, they lived at Craig Gowan, Carrbridge, Badenoch and Strathspey, Highland region (formerly Inverness-shire).

Honours

Commonwealth honours

• Malaysia :
  • File:MY Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara (Defender of the Realm) - SMN.svg Honorary Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (SMN (K)) – Tun (1966)
• Malaya :
  • File:MY Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara (Defender of the Realm)- PMN.svg Honorary Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (PMN (K)) – Tan Sri (1958)
• United Kingdom :
  • File:Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon.svg Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) – Sir (1966)
  • File:200px ribbon bar of the Knight Bachelor medal (UK).svg Knight Bachelor (Kt) – Sir (1959)

External links

• Photo of Sir James Thomson as first Lord President of the Malaysian Federal Court
• Malaysian granny with child: photo by Dr. F. Adam Thomson, The Straits Times, 17 November 1950, Page 6