AMBASSADORS

The Honourable William Alstergren AO

Chief Justice of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1 and Division 2)

The Honourable Chief Justice William Alstergren AO is the Chief Justice of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) and the Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2).

His Honour was appointed as Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia and a Justice of the Family Court of Australia on 13 October 2017. On 15 December 2017, his Honour was appointed Deputy Chief Justice and on 10 December 2018 his Honour was appointed Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia. On 1 September 2021 the Courts were renamed the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) and (Division 2) respectively. His Honour was also previously the administrative head of the Appeal Division of the Court.

After graduating from Melbourne University in Law (and completing an LLM), Chief Justice Alstergren undertook articles with Kenna Croxford & Co. From 1991 he practiced as a barrister in Melbourne and took silk in 2012. His Honour was regularly briefed in large and complex commercial, family, industrial, administrative law and tax trials and appeals in the Federal Court, Family Court and state superior courts. His Honour is a former Chairman of the Victorian Bar. Immediately prior to coming to the Bench, His Honour was the President of the Australian Bar Association.

He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2022 in recognition of his eminent service to the law, judiciary and sport. His Honour is the Head of Jurisdiction for two national courts which include 126 judges, 120 registrars and 2000 staff in 17 permanent locations and over 30 regional locations across Australia.

The Right Honourable Sir Andrew McFarlane PC

President of the Family Division, and Head of Family Justice

Andrew McFarlane was called to the Bar in 1977 and practiced in chambers in Birmingham until 1993 when he moved to specialist family law chambers in London. He appeared at all levels of court including the House of Lords and the European Court of Human Rights. He was appointed as a QC in 1998. In April 2005 he was appointed to the High Court, Family Division and was, for five years, the Family Division Liaison Judge for the Midland Circuit. He was the legal member of the Government ‘Family Justice Review’ Panel.

In July 2011 he was appointed to be a Lord Justice of Appeal sitting full time in the Court of Appeal in London. On 28 July 2018 Sir Andrew succeeded Sir James Munby as President of the Family Division and Head of Family Justice. Together with the late David Hershman he is the co-author of a loose-leaf legal text book entitled “Children: Law and Practice”. In addition, he has contributed to other publications and lectured throughout the UK and abroad.

Sir Andrew has been a trustee of YoungMinds (the national young person’s mental health charity) and is Patron of HOPE Family Centre (Bromyard). In addition to being Chancellor of the Diocese of Exeter, Sir Andrew was Chair of the Church of England Clergy Discipline Commission and President of Clergy Discipline Tribunals for five years until 2019. He has been a native of Herefordshire and Worcestershire for over 20 years.

The Right Honourable Lady Justice King DBE

Judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales

Lady Justice King was called to the Bar at Inner Temple in 1979. She was appointed as a QC (now KC) in 1999. She was made a Bencher of Inner Temple in 2008.

In 2008, Lady Justice King was appointed to the High Court within the Family Division and was the Family Division Liaison Judge, firstly to the Northern Circuit and then the Midland Circuit from 2010 to 2014.

In October 2014, she was appointed as a Lady Justice of Appeal.

In July 2020, she was appointed Chair of the Judicial College.

Professor David Hodson OBE KC (Hons) MCIArb

Solicitor (English and Australian), Mediator and Arbitrator at The International Family Law Group LLP

Prof David Hodson OBE KC(Hons) MCIArb is a co-founder, previously a partner at The International Family Law Group, a specialist law firm representing international families. He is an English solicitor, mediator, arbitrator, Australian (NSW) solicitor and a deputy (part time) family court judge at the Central Family Court (DDJ in the FRC at the CFC) in London and recently also on the Western Circuit. He is a member of the English Law Society Family Law Committee, a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, a member of LawAsia, the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia and a similar contributor to many family law organisations around the world. He is a regular speaker at international family law conferences around the world. He was awarded the OBE for services to international family law. He was appointed the (now) KC(Hons) in March 2022 by virtue of making a significant impact on the law of England and Wales. He is the editor and primary author of the LexisNexis textbook ‘The International Family Law Practice’ (6th ed). He is Visiting Professor at the University of Law and Honorary Professor of Law at Leicester University. He is an Anglican lay preacher. See here for career interview. He can be contacted on dh@davidhodson.com with more details here: davidhodson.com/care

Emeritus Professor Janet Walker OBE

Newcastle University, United Kingdom

Janet is Emeritus Professor of Family Policy at Newcastle University UK, where she directed over 50 multi-disciplinary studies relating to marriage, divorce, family breakdown, domestic abuse, parenting, mediation, family law reform, criminal justice, and policing. She has published widely and spoken at conferences around the globe. Janet has practised as a probation officer, family therapist and family mediator.

Since 2010 Janet has undertaken a variety of research, consultancy and pro-bono projects, including with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Mediation Task Force, as Co-Chair of the MoJ Voice of the Child Dispute Resolution Advisory Group, and currently as an Independent Advisor to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Armed Forces Families Strategy.

Janet was lead adviser to an independent review examining the support needs of military families and lead author of the report published by the MOD in 2020 (Living in Our Shoes: Understanding the needs of UK Armed Forces Families). In 2021 she was appointed Chair of the Archbishops’ Commission on Families and Households and is the main author of its report ‘Love Matters’ (2023) published by the Church of England. She has recently completed a study of interventions to support Royal Navy families.

Janet was an expert consultant on family mediation at the Council of Europe, a Board member of the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family and of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). She is currently a board member of the Naval Families Federation.

Janet is an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

The Right Honourable Baroness Hale of Richmond

Formerly President, Supreme Court of the United Kingdom

Lady Hale retired as President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in January 2020, after a varied career, as an academic lawyer at the University of Manchester (also qualifying and practising for a while as a barrister in Manchester), as the first woman member of the Law Commission, and as a Judge. She has taken part in many notable cases, but most famously the ‘prorogation case’ in September 2019. In retirement she has spent her time in good works, speaking and writing – her memoir, Spider Woman, A Life, was published in 2021.

The Honourable Emile R. Kruzick

Former Judge of the Superior Court of Justice – Ontario, Current Mediator and Arbitrator at Amicus Chambers

Emile Kruzick was called to the bar in Ontario, in 1972. He practiced Family Law and Mediation until his appointment to the Superior Court of Ontario, in 1996. Upon his retirement from the bench he joined his former judicial colleagues in the practice of ADR at Amicus Chambers.
As a lawyer Emile Kruzick was certified as an expert in Family Law by the Law Society. He was an active member of the Canadian and American Bar Associations and founding member of Ontario Association for Family Mediation. He was President of the International Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and founding member of the AFCC - Ontario Chapter. He is a proud member of ADRIO and ADRIC.

Robert A. Simon, Ph.D.

Internationally Renowned Forensic Psychologist

Robert A. Simon, Ph.D. is a recognized international leader in forensic psychology consulting. Based in San Diego, CA, and Maui, HI, Dr. Simon is retained by attorneys internationally to consult on custody cases and provide expert witness testimony. Dr. Simon is a sought after speaker and lecturer, known for his ability to reveal complex concepts and issues in plain language. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Commission on Couple and Family Relations. He is the co-author of the book "Forensic Psychology Consultation in Child Custody Litigation: A Handbook for Work Product Review, Case Preparation and Expert Testimony". Dr. Simon has also published numerous articles in scholarly journals.