Professor Thom Brooks works at the intersection of research, policy and public engagement — providing evidence-based insight for policy makers, select committees and NGOs in the United Kingdom and abroad.
This page brings together resources and summaries relevant to parliamentary, civil service and policy audiences:
Citizenship & Integration Policy
Overview: Brooks is a leading advocate for reform of the Life in the UK test, citizenship education and integration strategy. His research emphasises practical, impactful reforms to strengthen civic participation and fairness.
Key resources:
- Becoming British: UK Citizenship Examined (Biteback 2016)
- Reforming the UK’s Citizenship Test: Building Bridges, Not Barriers (Bristol University Press 2022)
- The ‘Life in the United Kingdom’ Test: Is it Unfit for Purpose? report (2013)
- Like a Bad Pub Quiz: The ‘Life in the UK’ Citizenship Test and New Concerns with Errors, Monitoring and Test Centre Inspections report (2023)
- Law Commission of England & Wales, Simplification of the Immigration Rules (2020) see sects. 2.9, 2.23, 3.27, 4.35, 5.93, 6.21, 6.53, 6.116, 7.23-7.24, 7.45, 7.71, 8.36, 9.38, 10.48, 10. 74, 10. 89, 10.93
- Media commentary: BBC News, Sky News and The Guardian
Policy relevance:
- Supports policy design on integration and citizenship education
- Cited in Parliamentary debates and independent reviews
Justice, Ethics & Rehabilitation
Overview: Research on sentencing, punishment and restorative justice policy combining analytical philosophical examination with legal analysis.
Key resources:
- Punishment 2nd edition (Routledge 2021)
- Evidence to Ministry of Justice consultations and UK Sentencing Review
- Brooks’s ‘unified theory’ of punishment named one of the top 100 ‘Big Ideas for the Future‘ by Research Councils UK 2009
- Media commentary on sentencing reform and public trust in justice
Policy relevance:
- Used in reviews of sentencing frameworks and restorative justice policy
- Cited in Santiago II in majority decision where the Connecticut Supreme Court abolished capital punishment in 2015
- Supports debates on ethics, legitimacy and effectiveness in criminal justice
Leadership & Higher Education Policy
Overview: As Principal of Durham University’s largest college and former Dean of Durham Law School, Brooks has experience of leading one of the UK’s top legal faculties, improving research excellence, widening participation and civic engagement.
Key resources:
- 112th President of the Society of Legal Scholars (2020-2021)
- Academic Bencher, The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple (since 2018)
- Principal Fellow of Advance HE (2022)
- Member, Academia Europaea and Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, Royal Historical Society, Royal Society of Arts
- Won the Jenny Jeger Prize from the Fabian Society for his publication New Arrivals (2022)
- Member, QC (Hons) selection panel (2019-2021)
- Chair, LNAT consortium (2021-2022)
- Published research on leadership and stakeholding
- Published research on teaching
Policy relevance:
- Informs policy debates on higher education reform, access and public engagement
- Promotes models of civic university leadership aligned with national priorities
Public Communication & Media Impact
Overview: Committed to making research accessible to the public, Thom Brooks regularly contributes expert analysis on law, politics and ethics to UK and international media.
Highlights:
- Over 2,000 media appearances since joining Durham University in 2012 contributing across BBC, ITV, Sky News and print outlets.
- Frequent commentator on citizenship, justice and government reform
- Training and mentoring for academics and students in effective strategic public communications
Policy relevance:
- Supports evidence-based debate on national issues
- Demonstrates best practice in public engagement for academia and government
Parliamentary & Government Engagement
Select Committee evidence in final reports:
- House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Participation (2018) see paras. 461-462, 468-469, 476,
- House of Lords Liaison Committee (2022) see paras. 107-108, 111
- House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee (2022) see paras. 2, 8, 11, 13, 18, 35, 40, 42, 44
Government Resources Summary (PDF):