David Jeaffreson

David Jeaffreson
謝法新
5th Commissioner of ICAC
In office
29 February 1988 – 30 November 1991
Preceded by Geoffrey Barnes
Succeeded by Peter Allan
Personal details
Born 23 November 1931
United Kingdom
Died 30 October 2008 (aged 76)
Hong Kong
Spouse(s) Elizabeth Marie Jausions

David Gregory Jeaffreson, CBE, JP (Chinese: 謝法新, 23 November 1931 – 30 October 2008) was a British colonial government official and civil servant. He arrived in Hong Kong in 1961 serving as Administrative Officer, and was Secretary for Economic Services and Secretary for Security in 1970s and 1980s, during which he had also been appointed as official Legislative Councillor for more than ten years.

Jeaffreson was appointed as Commissioner of ICAC by Governor Sir David Wilson in 1988. Retiring from the government in 1991, he chose to reside in Hong Kong and had become the deputy chairman of Big Island Asia Limited and an independent non-executive director of Buildmore International Limited.

Biography

Early years

Jeaffreson was born on 23 November 1931 in the United Kingdom from a well-known surgical family descended from Framlingham, Surrey, which is said to have performed the first successful ovariotomy in England.[1] Jeaffreson was born to Bryan Leslie Jeaffreson (1896–1953) and Margaret Jeaffreson. His father was a Physician who was qualified as a Medical Doctor, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.[2]

Jeaffreson attended Bootham School in York and then went up to Clare College, Cambridge, obtaining an MA.[3] Upon graduation, called up into the British Army in 1950 to carry out his National Service. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 4 November 1950.[4] After almost a year's service with the regular army, he was transferred to the Territorial Army list on 22 October 1951,[5] He was promtoed to acting lieutenant on 22 July 1952.[6] He completed his service on 23 September 1955, transferring to the reserve of officers.[7]

In 1955, he joined the Colonial Service and was sent to the British mandate of Tanganyika in East Africa in where he served as Administrative Officer until 1958. From 1959 to 1960, he was employed by Henricot Steel Foundry, becoming an assistant manager.[2][3]

Hong Kong Government

In 1961, Jeaffreson joined the Hong Kong Government as an Administrative Officer. He firstly worked in the Department of Trade Industry and Customs under the Finance Branch, and was promoted to the post of Assistant Secretary for Trade and Industry in 1967 and Deputy Financial Secretary in 1972.[3] He became Secretary for Economic Services in September 1976. In this capacity, he oversaw the economic affairs of Hong Kong and occasionally served as acting Financial Secretary.[8] Jeaffreson was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours of 1981 for his public services.[9]

Jeaffreson was Secretary for Security from November 1982 to February 1988 and had briefly served as acting Chief Secretary for Sir David Ford for six days before the end of his term of office.[10] As the Secretary for Security, he was responsible for some sensitive and important issues such as settling the boat people and the introduction of the nationality of British National (Overseas) for Hong Kong.[8] Apart from that, he also paid much attention on issues related to security, crime, the Triads and illegal drugs.[8]

From September 1976 to February 1988, Jeaffreson also served as official Legislative Councillor with the exception of the 1985 to 1986 Session. His ten and a half years' service in the Council was praised by the Governor, Sir David Wilson, and the Senior Unofficial Member of the Council, Lydia Dunn, when he retired from the Council.[8][11]

On 20 February 1988, Jeaffreson was appointed the Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) by the Governor, succeeding Geoffrey Barnes. During his term, the ICAC cracked down a number of commercial corruption and fraud cases. The ICAC had made a closer cooperation with its counterparts in the People's Republic of China also. Jeaffreson retired from the post on 30 November 1991 and was succeeded by Peter Allan.[2][12]

Later years

In retirement, Jeaffreson chose to reside in Hong Kong and joined some business groups. In 1992, he became the deputy chairman of Big Island Asia Limited.[2] On 2 January 2002, he was appointed as independent non-executive director of Buildmore International Limited, a listed landed property company in Hong Kong.[13] Besides, from 1 February 1992 to 31 January 2002, he was a member of the government's Public Service Commission.[14][15]

In December 2007, along with other former Commissioners of ICAC, Jeaffreson attended the opening ceremony of the new ICAC headquarter in North Point.[16] Jeaffreson died in Hong Kong on 30 October 2008, aged 76. Both the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Donald Tsang and the incumbent Commissioner of ICAC Timothy Tong sent their condolences to the family of Jeaffreson.[17][18]

Major experience
  • Second Lieutenant, British Army
    (1950)
  • Administrative Officer in Tanganyika
    (1955–1958)
  • Assistant Manager, Henricot Steel Foundry
    (1959–1960)
  • Entered the HK Government as Administrative Officer
    (1961)
  • Assistant Secretary for Trade and Industry
    (1967–1972)
  • Deputy Financial Secretary
    (1972–1976)
  • Secretary for Economic Services
    (September 1976–November 1982)
  • Official Legislative Councillor
    (October 1976–February 1988)
    (Except the 1985 to 1986 Session)
  • Secretary for Security
    (November 1982–February 1988)
  • Commissioner of ICAC
    (29 February 1988–30 November 1991)
  • Member of the Public Service Commission
    (1 February 1992–31 January 2002)
  • Deputy Chairman, Big Island Asia Limited
    (1992–30 October 2008)
  • Non-Executive Director, Buildmore International Limited
    (2 January 2002–30 October 2008)

Family

Jeaffreson married Elizabeth Marie Jausions in 1959. They had two sons and two daughters. His wife, his two daughters and two sons survived him. Jeaffreson lived in Pok Fu Lam, which is located in the Southern District on Hong Kong Island. He was member of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.[2]

Conferment

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Volume 60 Issue 4, BJOG, August 1953.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Who's Who, A & C Black, 2008.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Edited by Kevin Sinclair, Who's who in Hong Kong, Hong Kong: Who's Who in Hong Kong Ltd.: Asianet Information Services Ltd., 1988.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39096. pp. 6383–6384. 22 December 1950. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39459. pp. 768–770. 5 February 1952. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39683. p. 5730. 5 February 1952. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40590. p. 5346. 20 September 1955. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 立法局會議過程正式紀錄,香港: 香港立法局, 10 February 1988.
  9. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 48467. p. 17. 30 December 1980. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  10. ↑ "保安司謝法新突然「官運亨通」，月底任署理布政司", page one, second section of 華僑日報, 10 February 1988.
  11. ↑ "謝法新服務立局十年，獲港督及鄧蓮如讚揚", page five, second section of 大公報, 11 February 1988.
  12. ↑ "前任廉政專員謝法新逝世", 蘋果日報, 31 October 2008.
  13. ↑ 建懋國際有限公司－2008年報, 建懋國際, 29 May 2008.
  14. ↑ 公務員敘用委員會二零零零年年報, 公務員敘用委員會, 2000.
  15. ↑ "公務員敘用委員會新任命", 新聞資訊, 公務員事務局, 11 January 2002.
  16. ↑ "地產代理涉貪升逾兩成", 太陽報, 9 December 2007.
  17. ↑ "獨立非執行董事逝世", 公告, 建懋國際, 31 October 2008.
  18. ↑ "行政長官對謝法新逝世深表哀痛", 新聞公報, 30 October 2008.

References

English materials

  • British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Volume 60 Issue 4, BJOG, August 1953.
  • Edited by Kevin Sinclair, Who's who in Hong Kong, Hong Kong: Who's Who in Hong Kong Ltd.: Asianet Information Services Ltd., 1988.
  • Who's Who, A & C Black, 2008.

Chinese materials

External links

Government offices
Preceded by
Derek Jones		 Secretary for Economic Services
1976–1982 		Succeeded by
Piers Jacobs
Preceded by
Lewis Davis		 Secretary for Security
1982–1988 		Succeeded by
Geoffrey Barnes
Civic offices
Preceded by
Geoffrey Barnes		 Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption
1988–1991 		Succeeded by
Peter James Allan