Cuthbert Whitton | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 February 1905 Ireland |
| Died | 27 August 1995 (aged 90) |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
| Occupations | Colonial administrator and judge |
| Children | 1 |
| Mother | Eleanor Whitton |
Cuthbert Henry Whitton (18 February 1905 – 27 August 1995) was a British colonial administrator and judge.
Early life and education
[edit]Whitton was born on 18 February 1905 in Ireland, the son of Henry and Eleanor Whitton. His mother was a notable animal welfare campaigner. He was educated at St Andrew's College, Dublin and University College Dublin. He was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1939.[1]
Career
[edit]Whitton joined the Malayan civil service as a cadet in 1929,[2] and served in various posts including in succession, collector of land revenues and coroner in Penang; assistant district judge of the Straits Settlements;[3] acting assistant district officer for Butterworth; and acting district judge and magistrate in Singapore.[4] In 1932, he was appointed acting Resident in Labuan before he returned to Singapore where served in various judicial posts up to the Second World War.[1][4]
In 1939, after being called to the Bar in England, Whitton transferred to the colonial legal service, and returned to Malaya where he was appointed deputy public prosecutor and crown counsel in Penang,[5] and subsequently acting solictor-general of the Malaya Union.[6] As public prosecutor, he conducted prosecutions against collaborators employed by the Kempetai during the Japanese occupation of Malaya.[7] In 1950, he became the Federal Supreme Court registrar,[8] and principal assistant secretary in the Federal Secretariat.[1][9]
In 1951, he was appointed a puisne judge of the Federal Supreme Court of the Federation of Malaya.[8] In 1952, he served as a chairman of the board set up by the Federal government to investigate labour practices in the rubber industry and to make recommendations.[10] In 1953, he was appointed a puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore.[8][11] In 1955, he served as chairman of the advisory committee which reviewed the cases of people detained in Singapore under the emergency regulations.[12] He retired in 1957.[1][13]
After leaving Singapore, Whitton served in the legal department of the UK Foreign Compensation Commission (FCC) involved in assessing compensation due to British claimants for losses suffered abroad,[14] a post he held from 1959 to 1971.[1]
Personal life and death
[edit]Whitton married Iris Elva Moody in 1938 and they had a daughter.[1]
Whitton died on 27 August 1995, aged 90.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Who was who. Vol. 9, 1991-1995 : a companion to Who's who. Internet Archive. London : A & C Black. 1996. p. 591. ISBN 978-0-7136-4496-8.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "No. 33445". The London Gazette. 7 December 1928. p. 8064.
- ^ "Untitled". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 19 June 1929. p. 7.
- ^ a b "Colony gets new Judge". The Straits Budget. 20 November 1952. p. 11.
- ^ "Penang D.P.P. coming". Malaya Tribune. 29 June 1946. p. 3.
- ^ "Courthouse reopens after 6 years". The Singapore Free Press. 2 July 1947. p. 5.
- ^ "Beating On Orders Of Japs No Excuse". Morning Tribune. 18 February 1948. p. 16.
- ^ a b c "Colony gets new judge". The Straits Budget. 20 November 1952. p. 11.
- ^ "Legal Service". The Straits Budget. 28 December 1950. p. 10.
- ^ "What's Wrong With The Rubber Industry". Singapore Standard. 31 October 1952. p. 6.
- ^ "New judge welcomed at court ceremony". The Straits Times. 20 January 1953. p. 4.
- ^ "Chairman Of Advisory Body". Sunday Standard. 16 July 1955. p. 2.
- ^ "Justice Whitton, the last of M.C.S. judges, leaves". The Straits Times. 11 June 1957. p. 5.
- ^ "About us". GOV.UK. Retrieved 28 December 2025.