Face to face with a former judge of the Court of Final Appeal

Judge Henry Litton

At 83-years-old Mr. Henry Litton, the former Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal,  is remarkably responsive, witty, and straight to the point when answering any sort of question. I met him at a luncheon which was hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Club. Upon arrival, attendees were given two pages of notes regarding what Judge Litton was going to touch on in his speech.

It was a room packed with professionals in dark suits from lawyers, barristers, and reporters. As he spoke, everyone was drawn to what Judge Litton had to say. I have been to plenty of FCC luncheons before, and you can tell if people are paying undivided attention to the speaker based on the volumes of their conversations.

Before the luncheon, I was expecting to hear something quite lengthy and difficult to understand. Having enough lawyer friends in my life, I often find that these conversations can become both rather combative and confusing at the same time. With Judge Litton, however, this was not the case. He was well prepared, and every topic he touched on was easy to understand. His whole speech was very interesting.

I could not resist the chance of to interview with Judge Litton. After all, who gets to interview a member of the Final Court of Appeal about what music he likes?!

There were plenty of reporters waiting in line to ask him questions, but I was not going to shy away, so I bumped myself to the front of the line and asked if I could pose a couple of questions about music. Judge Litton was surprised to hear my request, as everyone else was asking him questions about topics like politics and human rights. But everyone likes music!

Do Re Mi:

What is your favorite kind of music? Do you like classical? Rock? Pop? (Not that I really expect Judge Litton to like pop!)

Judge Litton:

Mozart

Do Re Mi:

Which piece of Mozart’s music do you like the best?

Judge Litton:

I cannot remember the name of the music.

Do Re Mi:

(Judge Litton then started humming. I was so surprised, as I did not expect Judge Litton, though slightly out of tune, to have a passion for opera!)

So, Judge Litton, I think what you were humming was from one of Mozart’s masterpiece “The Marriage of Figaro ”

(Luckily, I also love Mozart’s music and was able to tell what he was humming)

If you were given a chance to perform, what kind of role would you like to have in an orchestra?  Or rock band?

Judge Litton :

I would never pick a rock band.  (Oh, well, that’s totally understandable.)

If I were given the opportunity, I would be a cellist

(Judge Litton then started humming again. I personally found it rather enchanting to hear Judge Litton hum, as one could tell his love for music and opera from his expression and body language.)

Do Re Mi:

(I like cello, because you can feel the music vibrating to your heart as you play the music.)

What’s the most unforgettable concert you have ever attended?

Judge Litton:

Carmen

I enjoyed talking to Judge Litton about his musical interests. I find that learning about what certain music people like tells you a lot about their personality, even if that person is a former high ranking judge?