Sir Andrew McFarlane
President of the Family Division of the High Court of England & Wales and Head of Family Justice
Sir Andrew McFarlane is the current President of the Family Division, and Head of Family Justice, as well as the President – who is a member of the Court of Appeal – the Family Division consists of 19 High Court Judges. It deals with: Divorce, including disputes over children, property or money; Adoption, wardship and other matters involving children; and Judgments on behalf of those who are unable to make decisions for themselves, such as persistent vegetative state victims.
The Family Division also deals with undisputed matters of probate – the legal recognition of the validity of a will – in the Probate Registry of the Family Division in London, and the 11 probate registries in England and Wales.
Day 1 - Sir Andrew McFarlane | Judicial Address
Justice with Compassion: Reforming Family Courts for Children and Families
Who it will interest
Judiciary, family lawyers, mediators, CAFCASS professionals, policymakers, safeguarding and system leaders and academics
What this session is about
Sir Andrew reflects on the responsibility of family justice to balance rigour with compassion and how courts can respond more effectively to complexity, conflict and vulnerability. He explores the direction of reform, the need for joined up working and the human impact of process on children and families.
Key themes
Compassion within judicial decision making
Proportionate intervention and early resolution
Interdisciplinary collaboration across systems
Culture change within family justice
The future direction of reform
What delegates will gain
A leadership view of the values guiding reform
Insight into where the system is heading
A clearer understanding of the cultural shifts being called for
A strong closing frame for the day’s reform thread
How it connects to other sessions
This builds directly on the Applied Reform fireside conversation and sets a reform context for Day Two’s focus on participation, child voice and applied practice.