Denys Roberts
Encyclopedia
Dato Seri Paduka Sir Denys Tudor Emil Roberts, KBE, SPMB, QC
(Traditional Chinese: 羅弼時爵士, born 19 January 1923), is a British
former colonial official and judge
. Joining the colonial civil service
as a Crown Counsel in Nyasaland
in 1953, he became Attorney-General of Gibraltar
in 1960. In 1962, he was posted to Hong Kong
as Solicitor-General, and was successively promoted to Attorney-General in 1966, Colonial Secretary
in 1973 and Chief Secretary
in 1979. He was the first and only Attorney-General to become both Colonial Secretary (and Chief Secretary) in Hong Kong. Never having been a judge before, he was appointed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
in 1979 and was the first and only Colonial Secretary (and Chief Secretary) of Hong Kong to receive such appointment.
Roberts was the last non-Chinese
to hold the post of Chief Justice of Hong Kong. After retiring in 1988, he had served as President of the Court of Appeal
of Bermuda
, Chief Justice and President of Court of Appeal
of Brunei Darussalam before finally retiring from the judicial service in 2003. He has written several books on colony
and law
and is a keen cricketer
.
, Hertfordshire
, England
, to William David Roberts, a law tutor, and Dorothy Elizabeth Roberts. He was educated in Aldenham School
in his childhood, and later studied law in Wadham College, Oxford
in 1942. However, his education was soon interrupted when he was commissiond as a second lieutenant
in the Royal Artillery
on 2 November 1943. During the Second World War, he served in France
, Belgium
, Holland and Germany
, and achieved the rank of captain
. He was about to be posted to India
but this was cancelled when the war ended in 1945.
After the war, Roberts retired from the army in 1946 and resumed his interrupted education in Oxford. He obtained his Master of Arts
degree in 1948, Bachelor of Civil Law
degree in 1949, and was made an honorary fellow of Wadham College in 1984.
, but it was discontinued when he joined the colonial civil service in 1953 as a Crown Counsel in Nyasaland (now Malawi
). In 1960, he was promoted to Attorney-General of Gibraltar and became an ex-officio member of both Executive and Legislative Councils of Gibraltar. In the same year, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours
, and made a Queen's Counsel
of Gibraltar on 20 June.
Roberts served for only two years, which was much shorter than his predecessors, and was posted out of Gibraltar in 1962. According to his memoir, he reckoned that the reason was probably because he offended the Governor
in a military parade where he shouted openly at the Governor’s aide-de-camp
for the poor arrangement of the event.
In 1962, Roberts was sent to Hong Kong as Solicitor-General and was made a Queen's Counsel of Hong Kong on 8 September 1964. He was appointed Attorney-General by then Governor
Sir David Trench in 1966 and became ex-officio member of both Executive
and Legislative Councils
of Hong Kong, promoted Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1970 New Year Honours, and was appointed Colonial Secretary
, succeeding Sir Hugh Norman-Walker
, by Governor Sir Murray MacLehose in 1973. Roberts was the first and only Attorney-General to become Colonial Secretary in the history of Hong Kong. He continued to hold the position when Colonial Secretary was renamed Chief Secretary in 1976.
During his tenure as Colonial Secretary and Chief Secretary, Roberts assisted MacLehose to implement a wide range of policies from political reform to housing development. He paid particular attention to trade development and visited a number of places, including the United States
and Latin America
, to promote trade relations. In the 1975 Queen's Birthday Honours
, Roberts was promoted Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his public services. In 1979, he chaired an investigation to look into the aftermath of the fraud scandal of Golden Jubilee Secondary School. Roberts was acting Governor for a number of occasions when the Governor was absent.
In 1979, Roberts was appointed Chief Justice of Hong Kong. His appointment aroused a brief sensation as he had never been a judge and was the first and only Chief Secretary to become Chief Justice in Hong Kong. His background as an experienced former colonial Attorney-General was justified by the government as a suitable candidate for the post.
Besides becoming Chief Justice of Hong Kong, Roberts was appointed honorary bencher of Lincoln’s Inn in 1978. From 1979 to 2001, he also served as Chief Justice of Brunei Darussalam and was made a Dato
by the royal house of Brunei Darussalam in 1984. In his capacity as Chief Justice of Hong Kong, Roberts paid visits to mainland China
twice. He was the first Chief Justice to visit People’s Republic of China when he visited Canton
, Shanghai
and Beijing
in 1983 under an individual invitation by the Chinese Government. In 1985, he visited China again along with other Hong Kong judges and toured Beijing and Xi'an
. Roberts witnessed the opening of the new Supreme Court Building
(now High Court Building) at 38 Queensway
in 1984.
Excluding Sir Noel Power
, who was acting Chief Justice from 1996 to 1997, Roberts was the last non-Chinese to hold the post of Chief Justice of Hong Kong. When he retired in 1988, his successor, Sir Ti-liang Yang
, became the first Chinese Chief Justice in the colonial history of Hong Kong. Customarily, the Chief Justice of Hong Kong would resign the post of Chief Justice of Brunei Darussalam when he retired. This practice was, however, formally ended in 1993 and Sir Ti-liang Yang was appointed President of the Court of Appeal of Brunei in 1988, instead of Chief Justice of Brunei. Accordingly, Roberts continued to serve as Chief Justice of Brunei Darussalam after his retirement and became President of the Court of Appeal of Bermuda from 1988 to 1994. After standing down as Chief Justice of Brunei Darussalam in 2001, he became President of the Court of Appeal of Brunei Darussalam until. From 1997 to 2003, he was one of the non-permanent Hong Kong judges of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.
, England, where he spends his time writing. He published his memoir, Another Disaster, in 2006, in which he recounts his life in the colonies. Roberts is the only living Attorney General, Financial Secretary, Colonial Secretary or Chief Secretary who served under Governor Sir Murray MacLehose.
Roberts is a keen cricketer. He took part in the Minor Counties Championship representing Hertfordshire in 1948. He was president of Marylebone Cricket Club
(MCC) from 1989 to 1990. He is also a member of the Royal Commonwealth Society
and has written a number of books and stories on law and colonial life.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(Traditional Chinese: 羅弼時爵士, born 19 January 1923), is a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
former colonial official and judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
. Joining the colonial civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
as a Crown Counsel in Nyasaland
Nyasaland
Nyasaland or the Nyasaland Protectorate, was a British protectorate located in Africa, which was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Since 1964, it has been known as Malawi....
in 1953, he became Attorney-General of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
in 1960. In 1962, he was posted to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
as Solicitor-General, and was successively promoted to Attorney-General in 1966, Colonial Secretary
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
in 1973 and Chief Secretary
Chief Secretary for Administration
The Chief Secretary for Administration , commonly known as Chief Secretary and abbreviated as CS, is the second highest position of the Hong Kong Government...
in 1979. He was the first and only Attorney-General to become both Colonial Secretary (and Chief Secretary) in Hong Kong. Never having been a judge before, he was appointed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong
Chief Justice of Hong Kong or erroneously Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong was the most senior judge in the court system in Hong Kong until 1997....
in 1979 and was the first and only Colonial Secretary (and Chief Secretary) of Hong Kong to receive such appointment.
Roberts was the last non-Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
to hold the post of Chief Justice of Hong Kong. After retiring in 1988, he had served as President of the Court of Appeal
Law of Bermuda
The law of Bermuda is based on the common law legal system of England and Wales.-Sources of Law:* The law of England and Wales as it stood in 1620 - of all kinds: common law, equity and statute - became the law of Bermuda at that time, and it remains so to the extent that other sources have not...
of Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, Chief Justice and President of Court of Appeal
Politics of Brunei
The politics of Brunei take place in a framework of an absolute monarchy, whereby the Sultan of Brunei is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government...
of Brunei Darussalam before finally retiring from the judicial service in 2003. He has written several books on colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
and law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and is a keen cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
.
Early years
Roberts was born on 19 January 1923 in St AlbansSt Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to William David Roberts, a law tutor, and Dorothy Elizabeth Roberts. He was educated in Aldenham School
Aldenham School
Aldenham School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged thirteen to eighteen, located between Elstree and the village of Aldenham in Hertfordshire, England...
in his childhood, and later studied law in Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...
in 1942. However, his education was soon interrupted when he was commissiond as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
on 2 November 1943. During the Second World War, he served in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Holland and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and achieved the rank of captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
. He was about to be posted to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
but this was cancelled when the war ended in 1945.
After the war, Roberts retired from the army in 1946 and resumed his interrupted education in Oxford. He obtained his Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in 1948, Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
degree in 1949, and was made an honorary fellow of Wadham College in 1984.
Colonial career
Roberts was called to the bar by Lincoln’s Inn. In 1950, he began his career as a barrister-at-law based in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, but it was discontinued when he joined the colonial civil service in 1953 as a Crown Counsel in Nyasaland (now Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
). In 1960, he was promoted to Attorney-General of Gibraltar and became an ex-officio member of both Executive and Legislative Councils of Gibraltar. In the same year, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
, and made a Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
of Gibraltar on 20 June.
Roberts served for only two years, which was much shorter than his predecessors, and was posted out of Gibraltar in 1962. According to his memoir, he reckoned that the reason was probably because he offended the Governor
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
in a military parade where he shouted openly at the Governor’s aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
for the poor arrangement of the event.
In 1962, Roberts was sent to Hong Kong as Solicitor-General and was made a Queen's Counsel of Hong Kong on 8 September 1964. He was appointed Attorney-General by then Governor
Governor of Hong Kong
The Governor of Hong Kong was the head of the government of Hong Kong during British rule from 1843 to 1997. The governor's roles were defined in the Hong Kong Letters Patent and Royal Instructions...
Sir David Trench in 1966 and became ex-officio member of both Executive
Executive Council of Hong Kong
The Executive Council of Hong Kong is a core policy-making organ in the executive branch of the government of Hong Kong.. The Chief Executive of Hong Kong serves as its President.The Executive Council normally meets once a week...
and Legislative Councils
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
The Legislative Council is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong.-History:The Legislative Council of Hong Kong was set up in 1843 as a colonial legislature under British rule...
of Hong Kong, promoted Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1970 New Year Honours, and was appointed Colonial Secretary
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
, succeeding Sir Hugh Norman-Walker
Hugh Norman-Walker
Sir Hugh Selby Norman-Walker, KCMG, KStJ, OBE was a British colonial official. He served in India from 1938 to 1948...
, by Governor Sir Murray MacLehose in 1973. Roberts was the first and only Attorney-General to become Colonial Secretary in the history of Hong Kong. He continued to hold the position when Colonial Secretary was renamed Chief Secretary in 1976.
During his tenure as Colonial Secretary and Chief Secretary, Roberts assisted MacLehose to implement a wide range of policies from political reform to housing development. He paid particular attention to trade development and visited a number of places, including the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, to promote trade relations. In the 1975 Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
, Roberts was promoted Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his public services. In 1979, he chaired an investigation to look into the aftermath of the fraud scandal of Golden Jubilee Secondary School. Roberts was acting Governor for a number of occasions when the Governor was absent.
In 1979, Roberts was appointed Chief Justice of Hong Kong. His appointment aroused a brief sensation as he had never been a judge and was the first and only Chief Secretary to become Chief Justice in Hong Kong. His background as an experienced former colonial Attorney-General was justified by the government as a suitable candidate for the post.
Besides becoming Chief Justice of Hong Kong, Roberts was appointed honorary bencher of Lincoln’s Inn in 1978. From 1979 to 2001, he also served as Chief Justice of Brunei Darussalam and was made a Dato
Dato
Dato may refer to:* Dato', a Malay state title* dato , a Danish newspaper* Eduardo Dato e Iradier, Spanish politician* David "Dato" Khujadze, Georgian pop singer...
by the royal house of Brunei Darussalam in 1984. In his capacity as Chief Justice of Hong Kong, Roberts paid visits to mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
twice. He was the first Chief Justice to visit People’s Republic of China when he visited Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in 1983 under an individual invitation by the Chinese Government. In 1985, he visited China again along with other Hong Kong judges and toured Beijing and Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
. Roberts witnessed the opening of the new Supreme Court Building
High Court (Hong Kong)
The High Court in Hong Kong consists of the Court of Appeal and the Court of First Instance. It deals with criminal and civil cases which have risen beyond the lower courts. It was named the Supreme Court before 1997.- High Court Building :...
(now High Court Building) at 38 Queensway
Queensway, Hong Kong
Queensway is a major road in the Admiralty of Central, Hong Kong. It was originally a section of Queen's Road East to its westmost before the Hong Kong Government separated and renamed it as its present name in 1967...
in 1984.
Excluding Sir Noel Power
Noel Power
Sir Noel Plunkett Power, GBS was a senior judge in Hong Kong and Brunei Darussalam. He 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...
, who was acting Chief Justice from 1996 to 1997, Roberts was the last non-Chinese to hold the post of Chief Justice of Hong Kong. When he retired in 1988, his successor, Sir Ti-liang Yang
Yang Ti-liang
Dato Seri Paduka Sir Ti-liang Yang, GBM, SPMB, JP , also known as Sir TL, is a retired senior judge in Hong Kong...
, became the first Chinese Chief Justice in the colonial history of Hong Kong. Customarily, the Chief Justice of Hong Kong would resign the post of Chief Justice of Brunei Darussalam when he retired. This practice was, however, formally ended in 1993 and Sir Ti-liang Yang was appointed President of the Court of Appeal of Brunei in 1988, instead of Chief Justice of Brunei. Accordingly, Roberts continued to serve as Chief Justice of Brunei Darussalam after his retirement and became President of the Court of Appeal of Bermuda from 1988 to 1994. After standing down as Chief Justice of Brunei Darussalam in 2001, he became President of the Court of Appeal of Brunei Darussalam until. From 1997 to 2003, he was one of the non-permanent Hong Kong judges of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.
Later years
Roberts lives in retirement in NorfolkNorfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England, where he spends his time writing. He published his memoir, Another Disaster, in 2006, in which he recounts his life in the colonies. Roberts is the only living Attorney General, Financial Secretary, Colonial Secretary or Chief Secretary who served under Governor Sir Murray MacLehose.
Family
Roberts was married to Brenda Marsh in 1949. The couple had one son and one daughter. The marriage ended in divorce in 1973. In 1985, he married Anna Fiona Dollar Alexander, with whom he has a son.Roberts is a keen cricketer. He took part in the Minor Counties Championship representing Hertfordshire in 1948. He was president of Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
(MCC) from 1989 to 1990. He is also a member of the Royal Commonwealth Society
Royal Commonwealth Society
The Royal Commonwealth Society is an international educational charity and a private members' club. Its mission is to support and promote the modern Commonwealth, its culture and core values...
and has written a number of books and stories on law and colonial life.
| colspan="2" style="background: #CFCFCF; text-align: center" Experience | |
|---|---|
(1950–1953)
|
|
Honours
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire (1960)
- Queen's CounselQueen's CounselQueen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(Gibraltar, 1960) - Queen's Counsel (Hong Kong, 1964)
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1970)
- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1975)
- S.P.M.B. (Brunei Darussalam, 1984)
- Official Justice of the PeaceJustice of the PeaceA justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(Hong Kong)
Place named after him
- Sir Denys Roberts Squash Courts (羅弼時爵士壁球場), located at Yuen LongYuen LongYuen Long , formerly Un Long, is an area and town located in the northwest of Hong Kong, on the Yuen Long Plain. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin, and to the north Nam Sang Wai.-Name:The Cantonese name Yuen Long 元朗...
, New TerritoriesNew TerritoriesNew Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
, Hong Kong
See also
- Politics of GibraltarPolitics of GibraltarGibraltar is represented in the European Union, having been the only British overseas territory which joined the EC under the British Treaty of Accession ....
- Attorney-General
- Colonial SecretaryChief SecretaryThe Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
- Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong KongChief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong KongChief Justice of Hong Kong or erroneously Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong was the most senior judge in the court system in Hong Kong until 1997....
External links
- Valedictory to Sir Denys Roberts, Chief Secretary, Legislative Council, dated 16 August 1978
- Dato Seri Paduka Sir Denys Tudor Emil Roberts, KCMG., SPMB