Sir Nicholas Anthony Joseph Ghislain Mostyn[1] (born 13 July 1957 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a retired British High Court judge, who was assigned to the Family Division.
[2] The son of a British American Tobacco executive from North Wales, Mostyn was born in Nigeria, and grew up there and in Venezuela and El Salvador.
After his parents divorced, he was educated at Ampleforth College alongside Edward Stourton where they won the Observer Mace debating prize.
[2] Mostyn was called to the bar in 1980, initially undertaking beginner’s family work such as County Court domestic violence cases.
[2]Like other barristers Mostyn undertook pro bono cases where he thought there was an important issue of law involved, such as issues arising from the functions of the Child Support Agency:[3] I think the performance of the CSA has been the greatest failure of public administration in the history of this country.
Mostyn labels himself "Catholic, Welsh and Wagnerian",[3] enjoys smoking, hunting, windsurfing and skiing; and follows ("generally despairingly") Southampton F.C.
Recordings are made in a Notting Hill pub and the presenters (Mostyn, Rory Cellan-Jones, Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, and Jeremy Paxman) discuss "the highs and lows, trials and tribulations, of living with the condition".