Clyde Wells
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Clyde Kirby Wells (born November 9, 1937) is Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, Court of Appeal. He is a former politician and former Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Born in Buchans Junction, Newfoundland, Wells graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a BA in 1959 and Dalhousie Law School with a LL.B in 1962.
Wells entered the cabinet of Joseph R. Smallwood in August 1966 and was elected to the House of Assembly in 1966 as a member of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Wells and John C. Crosbie resigned from cabinet in 1968 over concerns about financing of the Come by Chance oil refinery project.
Wells left politics in 1971 and resumed his legal practice full-time.
In 1987, he was elected leader of the Liberal Party, succeeding Leo Barry. In 1989, Wells led the party to power, defeating Tom Rideout and ending 17 years of Progressive Conservative rule. The Wells administration reformed the province's educational system, implemented far-reaching economic reforms, concluded an agreement to develop the province's first offshore oil field and coped with the consequences of the collapse of cod stocks off the coast of the province all at the time of a severe economic recession.
Additionally, Wells opposed the Meech Lake Accord, objecting to several of its provisions. He participated in discussions that led to the development of a set of constitutional proposals known as the Charlottetown Accord.
Wells retired as Premier in January 1996 and returned to private practice. In 1998, he was appointed to the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal and was appointed Chief Justice in 1999.
[Based in part on Wells' official biographical profile.]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas Rideout |
Premier of Newfoundland 1989–1996 |
Succeeded by Brian Tobin |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by J.R. Gushue |
Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador 1999— |
Incumbent |
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