Gunn Chit Tuan

Tan Sri Gunn Chit Tuan
Born	21 May 1929 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Died	18 May 2013
Nationality	Malaysian
Education	Peterhouse College, Cambridge University
Occupation	Chief Justice
Known for	Chief Justice of the High Court of Malaya
Honors	Companion of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (J.S.M.) (1973) * Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (P.S.M.) - Tan Sri (1991) * Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (P.M.N.) - Tan Sri (1994)

Tan Sri Gunn Chit Tuan (21 May 1929 - 18 May 2013) was a Chief Justice of the High Court of Malaya, serving on the Supreme Court of Malaysia, High Court of Malaysia as well as in the Judicial and Legal Service as Senior Federal Counsel, Assistant Parliamentary Draftsman and President of the Sessions Court and Assistant District Officer in the Malayan Civil Service. He presided over the landmark case Commonwealth of Australia v Midforth (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, which recognized that common law would still be applicalble after the statutory cutoff date of 7 April, 1956. He retired from the court in 1994.

Life

Tan Sri Gunn Chit Tuan born in Kuala Lumpur on 21 May, 1929.

He received his early education at Batu Road School and Victoria Institution before the Japanese occupation in 1941. He went on to read law at Peterhouse College, Cambridge University. Contemporary classmates include Lee Kuan Yew, Kwa Geok Choo (later Mrs Lee Kuan Yew), Yong Pung How, Eddie Barker, and Raja Tun Mohar Raja Badiozaman. He was called to the English Bar by the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn in November 1952. He was admitted to the Malayan Bar in November 1953 and joined the firm SM Yong & Co.

Career

He joined the Malayan Civil Service as an Assistant District Officer, and in 1958 joined the Judicial and Legal Service. There he served as President of the Sessions Court, Assistant Parliamentary Draftsman, and Senior Federal Counsel.

On 15 Jan 1977 he was elevated to the High Court in Malaya, the third highest court after the Federal Court and the Privy Council.

In 1987 he was appointed to the Supreme Court, renamed from the Federal Court in 1985 following the ending of appeals to the Privy Council.

In 1992 he became Chief Justice of the High Court in Malaya, which he served until his retirement in 1994.

Significant cases

• Commonwealth of Australia v Midforth (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd

Honours

• Malaysia :
  • Companion of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (J.S.M.) (1973)
  • Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (P.S.M.) - Tan Sri (1991)
  • Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (P.M.N.) - Tan Sri (1994)