25 Facts About Noel Power

Sir Noel Plunkett Power, was a senior judge in Hong Kong and Brunei Darussalam.

Noel Power had been a barrister-at-law in his home-country Australia when he joined the judiciary of Hong Kong in 1965 as a magistrate in the Lands Tribunal.

Noel Power retired from the High Court in 1999 but remained as a non-permanent judge of the Court of Final Appeal.

Noel Power chaired an independent inquiry to probe into the opinion poll scandal of the University of Hong Kong in 2000.

Noel Power was born on 4 December 1929 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, to a locally renowned family of Irish descent.

Noel Power's grandfather, Francis Power, was a member of the Legislative Council of Queensland; his great-uncle, Virgil Power, was a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Noel Power was the middle child among his siblings with an elder brother and younger sister.

Noel Power's parents were John Joseph Power, a doctor in the Australian Army and once the president of the Queensland Turf Club, and Hilda Power.

Noel Power graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and LL.

Shortly after graduation, Noel Power was called to the bars of the High Court of Australia and Supreme Court of Queensland in 1955, where he began his career as a barrister-at-law.

Noel Power managed to get promoted as President of the Lands Tribunal in 1976.

In 1987, Noel Power became a judge of the Court of Appeal, a post he had held until 1993 when he was appointed Vice-President of the Court of Appeal.

In 1996, Noel Power was appointed acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court when Sir Ti-liang Yang resigned and contested for the election of the Chief Executive.

Noel Power did not hold the post for long and was succeeded by Andrew Li as Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal immediately after the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from Britain to the People's Republic of China in 1997.

Justice Noel Power retired from the Court of Appeal in July 1999 but continued to serve in the Court of Final Appeal.

Noel Power received the knighthood in person from Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace in the same year.

Justice Noel Power was then appointed to chair the panel while other members of the inquiry were Ronny Wong Fook- hum, former Chairman of the Bar Association, and Pamela Chan, former Chief Executive of the Consumer Council.

Since 1980, Noel Power had already served as visiting judge to Brunei Darussalam on several occasions.

Noel Power resided in Australia in his final years but kept travelling frequently to hear cases in Brunei.

Noel Power died on the same day in the medical centre, while he was still in office, aged 79.

The death of Justice Noel Power was grieved by the Law Society of Brunei Darussalam and Chief Justice of Hong Kong, Andrew Li.

Noel Power was an outstanding lawyer and his judgments have provided authoritative guidance in many areas, particularly in the criminal field.

Noel Power was married to Irma Maroya, a Croatian, in Australia on 27 March 1965.

Sir Noel Power's hobbies included travelling, reading, and cooking and wine tasting.

Sir Noel Power found the Wines of the Pacific Rim Fair in Hong Kong in 1988.