Her Honour Judith Rowe KC

In practice Judith specialised in cases concerning children for over 25 years, the last 9 years in silk. She represented parties in the most serious private and public law cases, acting for parents, for children and for local authorities. She is acutely aware of the toll that litigation takes on the parents involved, and the impact of that litigation on the children concerned.

As DFJ for West London for 8 years, Judith planned and opened a new court building, West London Family Court, in April 2014. She bore pastoral and administrative responsibility for the family work in 7 courts across West London, oversaw the implementation of family law from 11 London Boroughs, worked in a multi-disciplinary setting to manage the massive challenges of covid, and throughout her 10 years In West London she heard many of the most serious and difficult cases listed in her courts.

Judith has brought that wealth of experience to her judicial role. She ensures that the parents who come into her court are treated with dignity and respect, that they understand the process they are engaged in and that as far as possible the litigation is conducted constructively rather than destructively. She is clear that litigation should be the last resort for parents who should be encouraged and helped to find their own solutions. She has been a passionate supporter of Support Through Court in West London, ultimately having to accept that they could not sustain that presence. Most recently she has led a group of West London professionals to create a website providing a wealth of detailed information to litigants not only about the court process but also about how to access services to help them address their problems, and to access alternative ways to resolve their disputes. She has become a proud trustee of MID, a mediation service provider, giving her further insight into the immense benefits of alternative dispute resolution.