Bridging Scholarship and Public Service
Thom Brooks is a leading voice on citizenship, immigration and the rule of law translating rigorous scholarship into real-world policy change, from advising the Home Office and Law Commission to shaping landmark legislation in Parliament.
➡️ Policy impact | Media | Speaking | Publications | Leadership | Contact
Scholarship serving public good
Thom Brooks is Professor of Law, Ethics & Government at Durham Law School and Principal of Collingwood College, Durham University. A leading authority on citizenship, immigration policy and the ethics of punishment, his scholarship is distinguished by its practical impact: moving consistently from the seminar room into government, Parliament and the courts.
His work has informed the Law Commission’s simplification of the Immigration Rules, shaped the wording of the EU referendum ballot paper earning recognition from ITV News as the man behind Leave and Remain and been formally acknowledged in Parliament for his contribution to the National Security Act 2023. In January 2026 he gave oral evidence to the House of Lords Justice & Home Affairs Committee and submitted written evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on citizenship and immigration.
A prolific and award-winning author, Professor Brooks has published more than 25 books and hundreds of articles. His Becoming British was praised by Prime Minister Keir Starmer as ‘a very good and thought-provoking read’. He is founding editor of the Journal of Moral Philosophy, serves on more than twenty editorial boards and ten academic book series, and was the 112th President of the Society of Legal Scholars, only the second President not British or Irish by birth. His scholarship on capital punishment was cited by the Connecticut Supreme Court in its landmark ruling abolishing the death penalty.
➡️ Policy | Research | Speaking | Contact
Policy impact & public service
Parliamentary Engagement
- Oral evidence to the House of Lords Justice & Home Affairs Committee on citizenship and immigration (January 2026)
- Written evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee (January 2026)
- Research cited in three House of Lords committee reports on immigration and border policy
- Formally thanked in Parliament for advising the Home Office on the National Security Act 2023
- Congratulated by House of Commons EDM 875 for leadership at Durham Law School
- Launched the House of Lords inquiry into the Life in the UK test through a successful pitch to the Committee
Government Advisory Work
- Informed the Law Commission’s simplification of the Immigration Rules (cited across 14 sections)
- Cited by the Electoral Commission on the EU referendum question recommending the wording adopted by government
- Advisory work cited by the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Law Commission on law and policy reform
- Invited to advise the Extremism Threats Unit, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (October 2024)
- Invited to advise the Ministry of Justice on principled punishment and sentencing guidelines (September 2024)
- Member, QC (Hons) selection panel (2019–2021) · Chair, LNAT consortium (2021–2022)
Civic & Institutional Leadership
- Principal, Collingwood College, Durham University supporting student leadership, civic opportunity and public engagement
- Founding Director, Collingwood Future leading interdisciplinary initiative on AI, ethics and leadership (launching autumn 2026)
- Inaugural and longest-serving Dean, Durham Law School (2016–2021) where doubled size and achieved best-ever QS and Times Higher rankings
- Executive committee member, Fabian Society (currently serving third term)
- Principal Fellow, Advance HE (2022)
International Contribution
- Scholarship cited by the Connecticut Supreme Court in its landmark ruling abolishing the death penalty (2015)
- Visiting scholar at Harvard, Columbia, Chicago, Yale, Oxford, Penn and NYU
- Appointed to editorial advisory board of the Review of Politics, University of Notre Dame (2026)
- Work translated into Chinese and Portuguese; cited in courts and legislatures across multiple jurisdictions
- Delivered talks in Belgium, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Serbia, Sweden, Turkey, UK and USA
Leadership & advisory work
Professor Brooks has long been recognised as a trusted adviser to policymakers and public institutions in the United Kingdom and abroad. His counsel combines academic rigour with a deep commitment to fairness, accountability and the rule of law. Drawing on his expertise in law, ethics and public policy, he has provided independent, evidence-based advice on some of the most significant legal and constitutional issues of recent decades.
Whether advising government departments, mentoring future leaders, speaking to parliamentary committees, or shaping national debate on the rule of law, he upholds the highest standards of public service. He is available for speaking engagements, parliamentary and policy briefings, media commentary, and strategic consultancy on law, immigration and higher education.
Citizenship & Immigration Policy
- Leading advocate for reform of the Life in the UK citizenship test and integration strategy
- Research underpins national debates on citizenship education, integration and border policy
- Informed the Law Commission’s simplification of the Immigration Rules
- Contributed to the House of Lords inquiry into the Life in the UK test, the EU referendum question and the National Security Act 2023
Justice, Ethics & Rehabilitation
- Unified theory of punishment named one of the Top 100 Big Ideas for the Future by UK Research Councils
- Contributed to Ministry of Justice seminars on principled punishment and sentencing guidelines (2024)
- Scholarship on capital punishment cited by the Connecticut Supreme Court
- Research used in reviews of sentencing frameworks and restorative justice policy
Higher Education & Leadership
- Inaugural and longest-serving Dean of Durham Law School (2016–2021)
- Principal, Collingwood College; Founding Director, Collingwood Future (AI, ethics and leadership)
- 112th President, Society of Legal Scholars (2020–21)
- Principal Fellow, Advance HE; Member, QC (Hons) selection panel; Chair, LNAT consortium
Fellowship & recognition
Fellow, Academy of Social Sciences: elected for distinguished contribution to social science and its application to public policy — one of the United Kingdom’s highest social science honours.
Academic Bencher, Inner Temple: a senior honorary appointment of the Inns of Court, recognising exceptional contribution to law. Appointed 2018; listed in the Inner Temple Masters of the Bench register.
Member, Academia Europaea: pan-European learned academy of distinguished scholars. Also Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Jenny Jeger Prize, Fabian Society (2022): won for New Arrivals described by POLITICO as the first major pamphlet on Labour’s immigration policy in over a decade.
112th President, Society of Legal Scholars (2020–21): only the second President in the Society’s history not British or Irish by birth.
Top 100 Big Ideas for the Future: recognised by UK Research Councils for his unified theory of punishment.
Congratulated by House of Commons EDM 875 for transformative leadership of Durham Law School.
In their own words
A very good and thought-provoking read.— Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on Becoming British
The first major pamphlet on Labour’s immigration policy for over a decade.— POLITICO, on New Arrivals (Fabian Society, 2022)
The man behind Leave and Remain.— ITV News, on Professor Brooks’s role shaping the EU referendum ballot question
Books & selected publications
Punishment: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, forthcoming
Theories of Punishment. Cambridge University Press, forthcoming
Political Philosophy: The Fundamentals. Wiley-Blackwell, 2025
British Legal Reform: An Agenda for Change. Policy Press (eds with Catherine Atkinson MP and David Drew), 2024
Global Justice: An Introduction. Wiley-Blackwell, 2023
New Arrivals: A Fair Immigration Plan for Labour. Fabian Society, 2022 (won Jenny Jeger Prize)
Reforming the UK’s Citizenship Test. Bristol University Press, 2022
The Trust Factor. Methuen, 2022 (cited: House of Lords Queen’s Speech debate 2022)
Punishment: A Critical Introduction, 2nd edition. Routledge, 2021
The Oxford Handbook of Global Justice. Oxford University Press (ed.), 2020
Becoming British: UK Citizenship Examined. Biteback Publishing, 2016
Media & public engagements
A trusted and regular commentator on citizenship, immigration, justice and constitutional affairs for UK and international media.
Recent (2026): BBC Radio Scotland · Newsweek · the i paper · House of Lords oral evidence · Home Affairs Select Committee written evidence
Past experience: BBC Radio 4 · BBC News · BBC Radio Scotland · ITV News · Sky News · CNN · The Times · The Guardian · The Telegraph · The Independent · Newsweek · the i paper ·
Principal, Collingwood College, Durham University — focusing on student leadership, opportunity and public engagement.
Founding Director of Collingwood Future, an interdisciplinary initiative on AI, ethics and leadership launching in autumn 2026.
Inaugural and longest-serving Dean of Durham Law School (2016–2021), doubled the School’s size, achieved best-ever QS and Times Higher rankings, congratulated in House of Commons EDM 875.
Visiting positions at Chicago, Columbia, Harvard, NYU, Oxford, Penn, Yale and others.
Get in touch
Available for speaking engagements, parliamentary and policy briefings, media commentary, and strategic consultancy on law, immigration and higher education.
➡️ Contact Thom Brooks | View full CV (pdf) | Speaking enquiries | Policy & consultancy
