Sir Andrew McFarlane appointed as new President of the Family Division

Cafcass’ Chief Executive “delighted” with appointment

Sir Andrew McFarlane has been appointed as the President of the Family Division from 28 July 2018. He will take over from Sir James Munby who retires the day before.

Sir Andrew was called to the Bar in 1977 and took Silk (Queen’s Counsel) in 1998. He was appointed a Recorder in 1995, a Deputy High Court Judge in 2000, and a High Court Judge in the Family Division in 2005. Sir Andrew has been a Lord Justice of Appeal in England and Wales since 2011.

Among his many achievements, Sir Andrew co-wrote Children Law and Practice which coincided with the enactment of the Children Act 1989 in 1991. He was also the only legal member of the 2011 Family Justice Review and is the judicial representative for the current sector-led Care Crisis Review financed by the Nuffield Foundation, which is due to report this summer.

Commenting on the appointment, Cafcass’ Chief Executive Anthony Douglas said: “I am delighted with Sir Andrew McFarlane’s appointment. I have worked with him for a number of years and look forward to this continuing in his new role. He will be as formidable a President as Sir James Munby, albeit in a different way, I have no doubt about that.”