[1] The son of a miner and steelworker, McHugh left school at 15 despite excelling academically and in rugby league at Marist Brothers, Newcastle.
For the next seven years, he worked as a telegram boy, crane chaser, sawmill worker and labourer until he enrolled at evening school.
At 22, with his Leaving Certificate in hand, he started studying law as a student-at-law with the Legal Profession Admission Board and taught by the University of Sydney.
McHugh was appointed to head the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Greyhound Racing Industry in New South Wales on 6 May 2015.
Following the report, the Government of New South Wales decided to shut down the greyhound racing in NSW from 1 July 2017, a decision that was reversed on 11 October 2016.