John Ottar Qvale (14 July 1911 – 14 October 1997) was a Norwegian police chief and judge. He was born in Kristiania as a son of merchant John Qvale (1884–1915) and Karen Berg (1884–1958). In 1939 he married Anna Marie Nilsen. His brother was the well reputated Norwegian musician who played with Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra for more than 40 years. He enrolled as a student in 1930. He was trained as a military officer in 1932, and took the in 1934. He also took the cand.jur. degree, and was a deputy judge in Oslo from 1937 to 1938 and Senja in 1938. In between he was a secretary in the Supreme Court. He was a secretary in the Ministry of Social Affairs from 1942, police superintendent in Kristiansand from 1945 and Romerike from 1947.