THOM BROOKS is a leading scholar of law, philosophy and public policy whose work has made a sustained contribution to public life in the United Kingdom, particularly in the areas of citizenship, justice and democratic governance.
His research has informed parliamentary debates, contributed to House of Lords and select committee inquiries and shaped national discussion on immigration, integration and social cohesion. He is currently providing expert evidence to the UK Parliament on settlement, citizenship and integration policy. His work on the Life in the UK test — through reports, books and parliamentary engagement — has played a significant role in prompting review and reform of the UK citizenship process.
Leadership
Professor Brooks is Principal of Collingwood College and Chair in Law, Ethics and Government at Durham University. He previously served as the longest serving Dean of Durham Law School (2016–2021) where he led a period of sustained institutional advancement achieving the school’s best ever QS World Ranking (40th) and best National Student Survey overall satisfaction (93%).
During his tenure, the Law School strengthened its research performance, enhanced its international reputation and deepened engagement with policy and professional communities. He advanced initiatives in equality, diversity and inclusion achieving an Athena Swan Bronze Award and embedded a stronger culture of public engagement and civic responsibility. His leadership was recognised in the House of Commons Early Day Motion 875.
As Principal of Collingwood College — the largest college at Durham University— he provides strategic leadership for one of the University’s most significant student communities, strengthening its role in leadership development, external engagement and innovation, including the launch of Collingwood Future focused on AI for impact, ethics and leadership.
Policy impact
A recognised authority on citizenship and immigration, Professor Brooks’s work has contributed directly to the development and scrutiny of UK public policy. His research on the Life in the UK test identified issues of fairness and accuracy, informing parliamentary inquiry and government review.
More broadly, his work has contributed to debates on immigration policy, border control and criminal justice reform, supporting more transparent, effective and evidence-based approaches to governance. His research has been cited in parliamentary reports (here, here and here) and has informed the work of government departments and public bodies, including the Law Commission’s simplification review of the Immigration Rules and an inquiry into electronic border management.
Public engagement
Professor Brooks is a prominent public commentator on law and public policy, with over 2,000 broadcast appearances across BBC, ITV, Sky News and CNN, alongside regular contributions to national newspapers including The Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Independent.
Through this work, he has helped to promote informed, accessible and balanced public debate, strengthening public understanding of legal and constitutional issues and the role of evidence in policymaking.
Brooks serves in his third stint as member of the Fabian Society executive committee. His pamphlet New Arrivals won the Jenny Jeger Prize and was described by POLITICO as ‘the first major pamphlet on Labour’s immigration policy for over a decade‘.
Current work: AI, ethics and leadership
Professor Brooks is the founding Director of Collingwood Future, an interdisciplinary initiative focused on AI for impact, ethics and leadership, launching in 2026.
The initiative brings together expertise from academia, industry and public policy to prepare the next generation to lead in an era of rapid technological change. It supports the development of responsible and ethical approaches to innovation, aligned with the United Kingdom’s ambition to be a global leader in safe and effective use of artificial intelligence.
Scholarship
Professor Brooks’s research spans jurisprudence, political philosophy and public policy with a particular focus on citizenship, punishment and global justice.
His work has received international recognition. His theory of punishment was identified by UK Research Councils as one of the Top 100 Big Ideas for the Future, and his scholarship on capital punishment was cited by the Connecticut Supreme Court in its decision to abolish the death penalty in his native state.
He is the author and editor of numerous books and articles addressing the ethical foundations of law and governance, including Becoming British (described by Prime Minister Keir Starmer as ‘a very good and thought-provoking read‘), Punishment, Reforming the UK’s Citizenship Test, Climate Change Ethics for an Endangered World, The Trust Factor (quoted in the House of Lords), Rawls’s Political Liberalism (with Martha C. Nussbaum) and The Oxford Handbook of Global Justice. Brooks is the founding editor of the Journal of Moral Philosophy and serves on more than twenty editorial boards, including the Hegel Bulletin,Journal of Criminal Law, Journal of Global Ethics and New Political Science as well as ten academic book series.
Professional and public service
Professor Brooks has advised the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Law Commission, and serves on expert groups including the Office for National Statistics Migration Statistics User Group. He is cited by the Electoral Commission on the EU Referendum recommending changed wording that was accepted by government and later described by ITV News as ‘the man behind Leave and Remain‘.
He has also advised the BBC on legal and immigration matters for Call the Midwife and Rip Off Britain, and supported the Home Office on the implementation of the National Security Act 2023, for which he was formally thanked in Parliament.
He served as President of the Society of Legal Scholars (2020–2021), the principal learned society for legal academics in the UK and Ireland, and only the second President in its history not British or Irish by birth. During his presidency, Brooks co-hosted a landmark cross-society conference with the Law Commission, contributing to its 14th Programme of Law Reform.
He has held visiting positions at leading universities including Chicago, Columbia, Harvard, LUISS, NYU, Oxford (St John’s College), Penn, St Andrews, Uppsala and Yale , a former Senior Associate Research Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and previously taught at Newcastle.
He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, Member of Academia Europaea and Academic Bencher of Inner Temple among other memberships.
Contact
For speaking engagements, media enquiries or collaboration opportunities, please get in touch: thom.brooks at durham.ac.uk
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