Andrew McFarlane

Spear’s Review

Sir Andrew McFarlane is president of the family division of the UK High Court and head of family justice. He 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.

He was appointed a lord justice of appeal in the Court of Appeal 2011 and took up his current role in 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 has since been expanded to include half the family courts in England and Wales,

If successful, the move will bring greater transparency to family courts, which have been known for stringent rules on confidentiality, mainly to bring greater public awareness to modern family law issues such as adoption, transgender issues, forced marriage, surrogacy and female genital mutilation. 

As of January 2024, journalists and legal bloggers have been allowed to report what they see in 16 courts, but they must adhere to strict requirements to protect the privacy and welfare of the parties involved. 

McFarlane’s recommendations follow the opening of 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.