Michael Hartmann was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), British India to a British father and an Australian mother. He is an author, journalist, and judge. He was raised in New South Wales, Australia. He holds Australian citizenship. When he was nine years old, the family moved to England where he was educated. His parents settled in Southern Rhodesia where he joined them after graduation. After university, he completed national service in the Rhodesian Army. He practised as an attorney in Harare. In 1983, he left Zimbabwe and moved to Hong Kong to join the Legal Department as Crown Counsel. In 1991, he was appointed a District Judge. He is the creator of 'Ben Dryden', a reporter in Africa.