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Tasker Watkins
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==Career== Watkins later achieved the rank of [[Major (United Kingdom)|major]], and on leaving the Army, studied law. He was [[called to the bar]] at the [[Middle Temple]] in 1948. He became a [[Queen's Counsel]] on 27 April 1965,<ref>{{cite web |title=Tasker Watkins' Queen's Counsel Appointment 1965 |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/43636/page/4127 |website=The London Gazette |access-date=22 September 2023 |language=en}}</ref> and in 1966β67 was Counsel to the Tribunal on the inquiry into the [[Aberfan disaster]], which happened a few miles from his birthplace.<ref>[http://www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/politics/aberfan/who2.htm Aberfan Disaster Archive β Witnesses examined by each Counsel at Tribunal of Inquiry] Nuffield Library, Oxford</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/aberfan-it-neednt-have-happened-2306999 |title=Aberfan: It needn't have happened |work=icWales.co.uk |date=19 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022220144/http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/aberfan-it-neednt-have-happened-2306999 |archive-date=22 October 2016 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Watkins was deputy chairman of Radnorshire [[Quarter Sessions]] between 1962 and 1971, and of Carmarthenshire Quarter Sessions from 1966 until 1971. He was [[Recorder (judge)|Recorder]] of Merthyr Tydfil between 1968 and 1970<ref>Who's Who,1971 A & C Black {{ISBN|0-7136-1140-5}} p3307</ref> and of Swansea during 1970 and 1971. He was Leader of the Wales and Chester Circuit from 1970 to 1971.<ref name="WRU1"/> In 1971, he was appointed to the [[High Court of Justice|High Court bench]], where he sat in the [[Family Division]] between 1971 and 1974, and thereafter, until 1980, in the [[Queen's Bench Division]]. He was a Presiding Judge of the Wales and Chester Circuit from 1975 until he was promoted to the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales|Court of Appeal]] (receiving the customary appointment to the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]]) in 1980. He became the first [[Senior Presiding Judge]] in 1983.<ref name="TelegraphObit">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1562637/Sir-Tasker-Watkins-VC.html |title=Sir Tasker Watkins VC |work=The Telegraph |date=10 September 2007 |access-date=11 December 2012}}</ref> [[Lord Lane]] appointed him Deputy Chief Justice in 1988, a post which he continued to hold under Lane's successor as Lord Chief Justice, [[Lord Taylor of Gosforth]], until retiring from the bench in 1993.<ref name="WRU1"/> Watkins was a chairman of the [[Mental Health Review Tribunal]], Wales Region, between 1960 and 1971 and was also chairman of the Judicial Studies Board during 1979 and 1980.<ref name="WRU1"/> ===Welsh Rugby Union=== Watkins played [[Rugby Union|Rugby Union football]] as an [[outside-half]] for the [[Army Rugby Union|Army]], [[Cardiff RFC]] and [[Glamorgan Wanderers]].<ref name="BBC2"/> He became president of the [[Welsh Rugby Union]] in 1993, overseeing the switch from the amateur era to professionalism and the move from club to regional rugby in Wales. He stepped down on 26 September 2004 as the first man since [[David Rocyn-Jones|Sir David Rocyn Jones]] in 1953 to hold office for more than one season. His 11 years of service made him the second longest serving president in the WRU's 123-year history.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/3939905.stm WRU president steps down] BBC Sport β 30 July 2004</ref> Watkins was also chairman, President of Glamorgan Wanderers, and patron until his death. Watkins is now honoured by Glamorgan Wanderers as their First XV team shirt has the letters STW-VC (Sir Tasker Watkins VC) in a green box on the right shoulder. The Wanderers also have a working model statue of Watkins in their club house donated by [[Llantwit Major]] based sculptor Roger Andrews. It stands in a corner that has been called 'Tasker's Corner' by members of the club. Watkins has been called "The most influential Welshman of the late 20th century."<ref name="Sir Tasker Watkins statue unveiled">[http://www.wru.co.uk/22630.php Sir Tasker Watkins statue unveiled] WRU β 15 November 2009 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126110428/http://www.wru.co.uk/22630.php |date=26 November 2009 }}</ref> Watkins was appointed an honorary life vice-patron of the WRU.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/news/11490.php |title=Sir Tasker Watkins Takes Up New Post at WRU |access-date=1 June 2016 |publisher=WRU |date=30 July 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528080606/http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/news/11490.php |archive-date=28 May 2013 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> On announcement of his death, the Welsh team wore black armbands for their [[2007 Rugby World Cup]] game against Canada in [[Nantes]], France, as a tribute to the former WRU president.<ref name="WRU1">{{cite web |url=http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/news/14882.php |title=Sir Tasker Watkins passes away |publisher=WRU |date=9 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204111308/http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/news/14882.php |archive-date=4 February 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> ===Other interests=== Watkins was president of the [[University of Wales College of Medicine]] for 11 years from 1987, and was president of the [[British Legion]] in Wales from 1947 to 1968.<ref name="TelegraphObit" /> Watkins was once asked by the Liberal Party if he would consider becoming a Member of Parliament and a safe seat was offered him, but Watkins turned the offer down.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://biography.wales/article/s11-WATK-TAS-1918 | title=WATKINS, Sir TASKER (1918β2007), barrister and judge | Dictionary of Welsh Biography }}</ref>
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