John Henry Pascoe (born 10 December 1948) is a former Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia and

Deputy Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensiv ...

Background and career

Pascoe was raised in and , the only child of a grazier and a mother with interests in the mining industry. He studied Asian languages and philosophy at the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...

, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1969 and Bachelor of Laws (

Honours Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...

) in 1971. Prior to his appointment to the bench, Pascoe was the chairman and CEO of

George Weston Foods George Weston Foods is one of the largest consumer products companies in Australia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Foods Plc. Its brands include Tip Top and Top Taste. In 2003, Weston's biscuits were put up for sale in ...

, chairman of

Centrelink The Centrelink Master Program, or more commonly known as Centrelink, is a Services Australia master program of the Australian Government. It delivers a range of government payments and services for retirees, the Unemployment, unemployed, f ...

, deputy chairman of Aristocrat Leisure Limited and managing director of the insurance and risk management division of Phillips Fox. He has also held positions on several other corporate boards, such as

Qantas Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founde ...

. Pascoe was a member of the board of directors (1998–2006) of the International Award Foundation (which operates the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award and national chair (1995–2004 of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award – Australia) and in 2016 he was awarded a Gold Distinguished Service Medal. Previously he has held positions on the boards of the Cancer Council of New South Wales, the

Sydney Opera House Trust The Sydney Opera House Trust operates and maintains the Sydney Opera House in Sydney for the Government of New South Wales in Australia. Description The Trust operates as one of the State's premier cultural institutions within the Create NSW po ...

, and the

Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children The Children's Hospital at Westmead (formerly Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children) is a children's hospital in Western Sydney. The hospital was founded in 1880 as "The Sydney Hospital for Sick Children". Its name was changed to the "Royal Alex ...

. Pascoe's appointment as Chief Judge has been widely applauded as a result of the significant management skills that he has brought to the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, which continues to be the most rapidly expanding court in Australia. The Federal Circuit Court is the largest federal court in Australia. In December 2015, Pascoe was appointed as the Australian delegate to

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working group considering an international surrogacy convention.

Community

John was appointed (1995–2004) as National Chair of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award – Australia and as an International Trustee of the Award from 1998 to 2006

Honours

In 2002 Pascoe was appointed an Order of Australia, Officer of the Order of Australia for service to business and commerce, to children's health, particularly the needs and rights of patients and their families, to the Children's Hospital at Westmead, and to youth training, nationally and internationally, through the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme. Pascoe was appointed Commander of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...

(CVO) in the 2010 New Year Honours for his services to the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award and in January 2016 was appointed a

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for eminent service to the law and to the judiciary, through support for improved access to the justice system for Indigenous peoples, to legal administration and higher education, and as an advocate for the prevention of international trafficking of children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pascoe, John 1948 births Living people Judges of the Family Court of Australia Australian chief executives Australian corporate directors University of New South Wales faculty Australian National University alumni Officers of the Order of Australia Australian Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Companions of the Order of Australia Judges of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia 21st-century Australian judges