Lord justice munby biography examples

Sir James Munby is the most senior family judge in England and Wales. Since his appointment as President of the Family Division and the Court of Protection on 11th January , Munby has been making it his mission to transform the family courts, making them more transparent, efficient and user friendly. In January this year he handed down guidance to family court judges, urging them to make information about their judgements and reasoning public, unless there was a significant reason not to.

At present too few judgments are made available to the public, which has a legitimate interest in being able to read what is being done by the judges in its name. The guidance will have the effect of increasing the number of judgments available for publication. On the 22nd April this year, widespread changes to the way the family courts are run and organised were brought in across England and Wales.

The Single Family Court has now replaced the previous system and it is hoped that that the new court will help to reduce delays, especially in cases involving children. Munby was the judge who presided over the tumultuous divorce of Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer and his second wife, Carolyn Freud.

Lord justice munby biography examples: The President of the

Munby famously enraged Earl Spencer by refusing to allow the high profile couple to divorce in private, meaning that their financial settlement became public. Sir James Lawrence Munby was born on 27th July His legal career started when he was Called to the Bar at Middle Temple in , he went on to practise as a barrister at New Square Chambers.

On 12 October of that year, he was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal, receiving the customary appointment to the Privy Council.