Although never taking Ministerial office, Wells's experience of the law was used on departmental committees. He was a member of the Lord Chancellor's Committee on the Practice and Procedure of the Supreme Court which sat from 1947 to 1953, of the Magistrates' Courts Rule Committee from 1954, and of the Wolfenden Committee on Prostitution and Homosexual Offences from 1954 to 1957.
Wells remained an active Barrister throughout his Parliamentary career and was made a Queen's Counsel in 1955. He was Deputy Chairman of Hertfordshire Quarter Sessions from 1961 to 1971, and in 1963 he became a Bencher of the Middle Temple. From 1965 to 1971 he was Recorder of King's Lynn, giving up the job when he became a Recorder of the Crown Court from 1972.
Moderate in politics, Wells supported British membership of the European Economic Community in 1971 against a three line whip. He retired at the end of the Parliament in 1974. From 1976 he was made a Chairman of Industrial Tribunals. He joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1981.
Referencesedit
M. Stenton and S. Lees, "Who's Who of British MPs", Vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1981)
External linksedit
Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by William Wells
william, wells, 1908, 1990, william, thomas, wells, august, 1908, january, 1990, english, barrister, labour, party, politician, wells, from, upper, class, background, went, public, school, lancing, college, near, brighton, balliol, college, oxford, called, mid. William Thomas Wells QC 10 August 1908 3 January 1990 was an English barrister and Labour Party politician Wells was from an upper class background and went to the Public School Lancing College near Brighton and to Balliol College Oxford He was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple in 1932 During World War II Wells served in the army on the General Staff to the War Office being promoted to the rank of Major He was elected as the Member of Parliament MP for Walsall in the 1945 general election Although never taking Ministerial office Wells s experience of the law was used on departmental committees He was a member of the Lord Chancellor s Committee on the Practice and Procedure of the Supreme Court which sat from 1947 to 1953 of the Magistrates Courts Rule Committee from 1954 and of the Wolfenden Committee on Prostitution and Homosexual Offences from 1954 to 1957 Wells remained an active Barrister throughout his Parliamentary career and was made a Queen s Counsel in 1955 He was Deputy Chairman of Hertfordshire Quarter Sessions from 1961 to 1971 and in 1963 he became a Bencher of the Middle Temple From 1965 to 1971 he was Recorder of King s Lynn giving up the job when he became a Recorder of the Crown Court from 1972 Moderate in politics Wells supported British membership of the European Economic Community in 1971 against a three line whip He retired at the end of the Parliament in 1974 From 1976 he was made a Chairman of Industrial Tribunals He joined the Social Democratic Party SDP in 1981 References editM Stenton and S Lees Who s Who of British MPs Vol IV Harvester Press 1981 Leigh Rayment s Historical List of MPsExternal links editHansard 1803 2005 contributions in Parliament by William Wells Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded byGeorge Schuster Member of Parliament for Walsall1945 1955 Constituency abolished New constituency Member of Parliament for Walsall North1955 Feb 1974 Succeeded byJohn Stonehouse Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Wells 1908 1990 amp oldid 1170780505, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
