John Desmond Seys-Llewellyn (3 May 1912 – 4 April 2003) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

who took part in the prosecution of the Nuremberg Trials. He was also a Liberal Party politician and later became a

county court A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions (subnational entities) within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of ''county courts'' held by the high ...

judge.

Life

Seys-Llewellyn was born in Cardiff on 3 May 1912 and educated at Cardiff High School. He then studied French and German at the University of Oxford, matriculating as a member of Jesus College, Oxford, in 1931 and obtaining a degree in French and German. Before the Second World War started, he taught modern languages in schools. He was commissioned as a

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the Royal Armoured Corps on 22 November 1941. He served in the

Royal Tank Regiment The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the First World War. Today, it is the armoured regiment of the British Army's 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Formerly known as th ...

, but did not see active service in Europe. He then volunteered to serve in the Far East, and spent two years in India. Whilst in the army, he studied to become a

and, shortly after qualifying, he took part in the Nuremberg Trials. He rose to the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. He began his practice as a barrister in

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

in 1947. He was Liberal Party parliamentary candidate for the City of Chester at the 1955 General Election and then at the

1956 City of Chester by-election The City of Chester by-election of 15 November 1956 was held after the appointment of Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Basil Nieldclerk to the justices A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service c ...

at Wrexham Magistrates' Court, before establishing his own chambers in Chester on his return to the bar. He was appointed as deputy chairman for the Court of Quarter Sessions for

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

on 13 January 1968 and became a judge of the

on 23 April 1971. He retired in 1985 and died on 4 April 2003. He married Hilda Elaine Porcher, and they had three sons, one of whom, Anthony Seys-Llewellyn QC, became a Designated Civil Judge for Wales.

References

1912 births 2003 deaths Welsh barristers 20th-century Welsh judges Royal Tank Regiment officers British Army personnel of World War II Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Prosecutors of the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg Royal Armoured Corps officers County Court judges (England and Wales) {{Wales-bio-stub