Dame Finola Mary Lucy O'Farrell DBE KC (born 15 December 1960), commonly called The Honourable Mrs Justice O'Farrell is a British high court judge and barrister.

Early life

Finola O'Farrell was educated at

St Philomena's Catholic High School for Girls St Philomena's Catholic High School for Girls is a school for girls (aged 11–18) in Carshalton, South London, England. In 2008, Ofsted rated the school as 'good'.

and later earned a bachelor's degree from

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

in 1982.

Career

O'Farrell was

called to the Bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

in 1983 at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...

and practised construction and energy law. In 2002, she became a QC and was appointed as a Recorder in 2007. On 3 October 2016, she was appointed as a High Court judge and was appointed a Dame Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

in the same year. She is Judge in Charge of the

Technology and Construction Court The King's Bench Division (or Queen's Bench Division when the monarch is female) of the High Court of Justice deals with a wide range of common law cases and has supervisory responsibility over certain lower courts. It hears appeals on point ...

Personal life

In 1993, she married Stuart Andrews with whom she has one daughter. He died in 2010.

References

1960 births Living people Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Alumni of Trevelyan College, Durham British women judges English King's Counsel British people of Irish descent British Roman Catholics Place of birth missing (living people) Date of birth missing (living people) 21st-century King's Counsel 21st-century English judges {{UK-law-bio-stub