Ghanaian-British lawyer among 29 newly appointed Deputy High Court Judges in the UK
As Deputy High Court Judge for a single fixed six-year term, her work will include cases that would otherwise be undertaken by High Court Judges.
A Ghanaian-British family lawyer, Barbara Mills, has been appointed as Deputy High Court Judge in the UK, alongside 29 other barristers.
Her appointment was announced on January 24, 2023, following an open competition run by the country’s Judicial Appointments Commission.
As Deputy High Court Judge for a single fixed six-year term, her work will include cases that would otherwise be undertaken by High Court Judges.
“The role of Deputy High Court Judge is reserved for those who have the experience and expertise to deal with very complex cases,” writes 4PB, a leading Family Law barristers Chambers in the UK, where Ms. Mills serves also as Joint Head of Chambers.
Although born in Ghana, Barbara Mills received her LLB from the University of Hull, England, and was called to the English bar in 1990.
“I always wanted to be a barrister. I was called to the Bar in 1990, which means this year marks 32 years in practice,” she told Circle Square, a community of accomplished persons in their fifties and over.
In 2005, she trained as a family mediator, as part of a desire to be part of a holistic solution-focused and restorative process in dealing with cases of divorce.
"A few years into my career, I began to really connect with the devastating effect of the adversarial court system on families in crisis. No one goes into court “fighting” to secure the order they believe is in their child’s best interests and speaks well and fondly of their ex-partner.
The adversarial system necessarily inspires separating parents to review their relationship, excavate and focus only on that which has been negative or not worked well. It is easy in that situation to take eyes off the people in the middle – the children who have played no part in the separation, often have no real say and certainly no real choice as to the outcome."
In a chain of achievements, she became a Queen’s Counsel in 2020, (now King’s Counsel), which is the highest level of seniority as a barrister in the UK, and as co-chair of the Bar Council’s Race Working Group (RWG) in that same year.
London-based law firm, BWF Solicitors wrote following her appointment as Deputy High Court Judge: “Barbara frequently represents clients in High Court cases involving international issues. She is also equally powerful in domestic child disputes, including welfare concerns. BWF Solicitors and the entire Ghana Community in London are proud of your achievements.”
