Martin Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gresford
| The Right Honourable The Lord Thomas of Gresford OBE QC | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
13 March 1937 Wrexham |
| Nationality | Welsh |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Spouse(s) |
(1) Nan Kerr in 1961 |
| Alma mater | Peterhouse, Cambridge University |
| Profession | Solicitor, Barrister, Judge, Lecturer |
Donald Martin Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gresford, OBE, QC (born 13 March 1937) is a British Liberal Democrat politician.
Educated at Grove Park Grammar School, Wrexham, and at Peterhouse, Cambridge University, he graduated with an LLB in Law and an MA in Classics. He practiced as a solicitor in Wrexham from 1961–1966 before becoming a lecturer in Law. He was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1967, and was appointed a QC in 1979. He became a deputy circuit judge in 1974, a Crown Court Recorder in 1976, and a Deputy High Court judge in 1995.
Having been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1982 Birthday Honours,[1] Thomas was created a Life Peer as Baron Thomas of Gresford, of Gresford in the County Borough of Wrexham on 30 September 1996,[2] whereupon he took the Liberal Democrat Whip. Since then he has been a spokesman on Wales and Home Affairs, and has sat on a number of committees. His political interests include Hong Kong, China, criminal justice, and Wales.
Thomas married Nan Kerr in 1961 with whom he had three sons and one daughter. She died in 2000. In 2005, he married fellow Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Walmsley. He and his wife are one of the few couples who both hold titles in their own right.
Lord Thomas was a Vice-President of the Lloyd George Society until February 2012 when he was elected President.
Lord Thomas is the Honorary Chairman of the Association of Military Court Advocates.
External links
- Lord Thomas of Gresford profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- Website of the Lloyd George Society
References
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 49008. p. 12. 12 June 1982.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 54542. p. 13143. 3 October 1996.
- Who's Who 2008
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mary Murphy |
Chairman of the Welsh Liberal Party 1969–1973 |
Succeeded by Geraint Howells |
| Preceded by Geraint Howells |
President of the Welsh Liberal Party 1977–1979 |
Succeeded by Roger Roberts |
| Preceded by Roger Roberts |
President of the Welsh Liberal Democrats 1993–1996 |
Succeeded by Alex Carlile |