Sir John Jackson Smale (1 March 1805 – 13 August 1882) was a British lawyer and judge.

He practised at the Chancery Bar for eleven years from 1846 to 1857 and was noted as a law reporter, being one of the joint authors of "De Gex and Smale" (Reports of Cases decided in the High Court of Chancery, by Knight-Bruce, V.C., and Parker, V.C., 1849–1853, 5 vols., with John Peter De Gex),[2] and "Smale and Gifford".

[4] On 24 October 1866, he was appointed as Chief Justice of Hong Kong[5] replacing William Henry Adams who had died in office.

[8] As Attorney General, Smale was instrumental in bringing about the de-amalgamation of the solicitors' and barristers' professions in Hong Kong.

Subsequently, he worked for the repeal of the Amalgamation Ordinance that had allowed barristers and solicitors to practise in any capacity.

Smale ordered his release on the basis that the Nouvelle Penelope was a slave ship and Kwok was entitled to take any necessary steps to secure his freedom.

[10] Smale married twice, first to Anne Jackson (d. 1868) and then in 1873 to Clara Janson, a wealthy descendant of the Wensleydale I'Anson Quakers, in St John's Cathedral, Hong Kong.