Alan Ward (judge)

Sir Alan Hylton Ward (born 15 February 1938), is a former judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales.

Early life and education
Ward was born and raised in South Africa and practiced as an Attorney of the Supreme Court (solicitor), occasionally being instructed by Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo. In 1961, he moved to England to take a second degree, reading law at Cambridge.

Legal career
He was called to the bar (Gray's Inn) in 1964, becoming a bencher in 1988, and was made a Queen's Counsel in 1984. Ward was appointed a High Court judge on 5 October 1988. He was assigned to the Family Division and given the customary knighthood. On 13 February 1995, he was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal. He reached mandatory retirement on 15 February 2013.

Separating conjoined twins
In 2000, Ward, together with Lord Justice Brooke and Lord Justice Walker (now Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe) made the decision to separate conjoined twins Gracie and Rosie Attard, refusing their parents' appeal, despite the fact the weaker twin (Rosie) would certainly die. After the surgery, Rosie died and Gracie Attard survived and returned to her native Malta.

Sex discrimination
In a landmark ruling on the 21 December 2004, Ward, together with Lord Justice Baker and Lady Justice Arden—on the basis of EU Council Directive 79/7/EEC —also ruled against the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the ground of sex discrimination for withholding from a separated father with shared care of his child receipt of the appropriate Job Seeker's Allowance child additions (JSA) because he was not in receipt of Child Benefit for his child.

Family life
He is married to London divorce solicitor, Helen Ward. They had twin daughters: Amelia (who died in 2001 aged 16 in a rock-fall accident in South Africa) and Kate.