Justice Thomas (Tom) Mitchell Gall

ATTENDED PULTENEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL 1955 - 1959

Tom Gall was born in Burra on 20 November 1942. He started at Pulteney in Remove (Year 8) in 1955. In his final year at Pulteney he completed Leaving Honours, was in the debating team, captained the 2nd XVIII and was a School Prefect. He was also a school cadet from 1958-59.

After leaving school Tom studied law at the University of Adelaide and was admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court in South Australia in 1966. He joined the law firm of then Attorney General Colin Rowe and in 1973 moved to Hong Kong. He became District Judge in 1982 and moved to the Court of First Instance in 1991. He was known as an outstanding criminal judge.

Tom was an avid fly fisherman, scuba diver and classic car enthusiast. He maintained ties with South Australia via his rural property at Mt Compass.

He was also Chair of the Hong Kong chapter of Adelaide University Alumni Association and attended Pulteney Reunions in Hong Kong.

Tom had a great interest in education. He helped build rural schools in China, worked for students with learning disabilities in Hong Kong, and supported orphanages and village schools in Sri Lanka. Following the tsunami, and despite illness, he worked tirelessly to supply the Galle, Sri Lanka, courts with new law books and computers.

On 20 January 2006 Tom lost his long battle with cancer, and died at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. On 9 February 2006, a memorial High Court sitting was held for Tom Gall. The secretary for Justice, Chief Justice, Court of Final Appeal judges and the heads of both arms of the legal profession and its members filled Court No. 7 and spilled over into the waiting hall outside. Chief Judge of the High Court Mr Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-li described Tom as a man of great wit, charm, charisma, honour, dignity, integrity and generosity of spirit. One of the many tributes stated: ‘He was genuinely interested in every case and was always intensely aware of the responsibilities in sitting in judgement upon his fellow men.’ He served on the bench with great distinction for 24 years. On the following day more than 700 people attended his memorial service in St John’s Cathedral, Hong Kong.