Tony Wells

Tony Wells, who made an outstanding contribution to the reform of family law procedure and practice and to interdisciplinary co-operation in family proceedings, died on 25 July 2007. He founded the first family mediation service, Bristol Courts Family Conciliation Service (now Bristol Family Mediation) in 1978. Tony Wells was a member of the Booth Committee whose Report, published in 1985, recommended changes to Matrimonial Causes Procedure. He was also a member of the committee of the Family Court Campaign. In 1986 he laid the foundation for SKIDCOPS, which was later formally established as the National Council for Family Proceedings. He was given an OBE in 1997.