Sir Fielding Clarke (23 February 1851 – 30 July 1928) was a British colonial

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

, civil servant and jurist. He served as Chief Justice of

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

, Hong Kong and Jamaica.

Early life

Clarke was the fourth son of Henry Booth Clarke and his wife Isabella. He married in 1888 Mary (May) Milward Pierce, the daughter of Mr Justice

Timbrell Pierce Timbrell is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Benjamin Timbrell (c. 1683–1754), English master builder and architect *Dennis Timbrell (born 1946), Canadian politician *Robert Timbrell Rear Admiral Robert Walter Timbrell, C ...

D.L.

Education

Clarke was educated in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

and then returned to England to attend

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

and London University (LLB). On 12 November 1872 he was admitted to Middle Temple and in 1876 was called to the bar of the Middle Temple.

Career

After being called to the Bar, Clarke practised on the North Eastern Circuit. In 1881, he embarked on career as a civil servant and jurist in various British colonies. In that year, he was appointed

Attorney General of Fiji The Attorney-General is a political and legal officer in Fiji. The attorney-general is the chief law officer of the State, and has responsibility for supervising Fijian law and advising the government on legal matters. Like other members of the ...

in 1881 and served in that position until 1885. He acted as Chief Justice of Fiji and Chief Judicial Commissioner, Western Pacific from 1882 to 1883 and in 1884. In 1885 he was appointed Chief Justice of Fiji & Chief Judicial Commissioner, Western Pacific. He served in that position until 1889. In 1889, he was appointed Puisne Judge, of the

Supreme Court of Hong Kong The Supreme Court of Hong Kong was the highest court in Hong Kong prior to the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China in 1997 and heard cases of first instance and appeals from the Di ...

. In 1892 he was appointed Chief Justice of Hong Kong succeeding Sir James Russell. Clarke was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in 1894 while Chief Justice of Hong Kong. In 1896 he was appointed as

Chief Justice of Jamaica Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

and served in that position until 1911 when he retired. He moved to Southchurch, Essex and later lived in Stifford, Essex. In retirement, he was appointed, in 1916, to the Appeal Tribunal for the County of Essex created under the Military Service Act 1916 which introduced conscription.

Death

Clarke died on 30 July 1928 in Essex, England.The Daily Gleaner, 15 August 1928, p1 , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , -

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Fielding 1851 births 1928 deaths Alumni of King's College London Attorneys General of the Colony of Fiji Attorneys-general of Fiji British expatriates in Fiji British expatriates in Hong Kong British expatriates in Jamaica British expatriates in Switzerland British Hong Kong judges Chief judicial commissioners for the Western Pacific Chief justices of Fiji Chief justices of Jamaica Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong Colony of Fiji judges Colony of Jamaica judges Knights Bachelor Lawyers awarded knighthoods Members of the Middle Temple 19th-century Jamaican judges