Spear’s Review

Since 2018, Sir Andrew McFarlane has served as president of the family division of the UK High Court and head of family justice.

McFarlane was called to the Bar in 1977 and practiced in chambers in Birmingham before moving to specialise in family law in London. Known for his expertise in children matters, he took silk in 1998 and in 2005 was appointed to the family division of the High Court. Prior to taking on his current position, he was lord justice of appeal in the Court of Appeal between 2011 and 2018.

McFarlane in 2019 called for an end to the secrecy rule in court reporting; the pilot scheme was originally launched in Cardiff, Carlisle and Leeds, and was expanded to include a further 16 courts in 2024 before being made applicable to most of England and Wales in January 2025. The move has brought greater transparency to family courts, which have been known for stringent rules on confidentiality, and is part of an effort to bring greater public awareness to modern family law issues such as adoption, transgender issues, forced marriage, surrogacy and female genital mutilation. 

McFarlane also ruled in the complex case of Princess Haya bint al-Hussein of Jordan against her husband, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, which culminated in the most expensive divorce settlement in British history.

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