John Widgery
|
The Right Honourable The Lord Widgery OBE TD PC |
|
|---|---|
| 11th Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales | |
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In office 1971–1980 |
|
| Nominated by | The Lord Hailsham |
| Appointed by | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Preceded by | The Lord Parker of Weddington |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Lane |
| Judge of the High Court of Justice | |
|
In office 1961–1980 |
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| Appointed by | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Judge of the Court of Appeal | |
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In office 1968–1980 |
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| Appointed by | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Pasmore Widgery 24 July 1911 South Molton, Devon, England |
| Died | 26 July 1981 (aged 70) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Queen's College, Taunton |
| Known for | Widgery Tribunal |
| Civilian awards |
Knight Bachelor Life Peer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Years of service | 1938-1945 |
| Rank | Brigadier |
| Unit |
Royal Engineers (1938-1940) Royal Artillery (1940-1945) |
| Battles/wars | Normandy landings |
| Military awards | Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) Croix de Guerre (France) Order of Leopold (Belgium) |
John Passmore Widgery, Baron Widgery, OBE, TD, PC (24 July 1911 – 26 July 1981) was an English judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 1971 to 1980. He is principally noted for presiding over the Widgery Tribunal on the events of Bloody Sunday.
Widgery came from a North Devon family which had been living in South Molton for many generations. An ancestor had been a gaoler and his mother served as a magistrate. He attended Queen's College, Taunton, where he became head prefect.
He was admitted as a solicitor in 1933 after serving as an articled clerk, but instead of going into practice, he joined Gibson and Welldon, a well-known firm of law tutors. He was an effective lecturer in the years leading up to World War II while he was also commissioned into the Royal Engineers (Territorial Army) in 1938, having joined as a sapper. As a searchlight officer, in 1940 he transferred to the Royal Artillery. Widgery participated in the Normandy landings. By the end of the war he had an OBE, the Croix de Guerre (France), and the Order of Leopold (Belgium), and had reached the rank of brigadier.
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