Professor Thom Brooks works at the intersection of research, policy and public engagement providing evidence-based insight to parliament, government departments and civil society on citizenship, immigration, criminal justice and higher education.
The most recent engagement: oral evidence to the House of Lords Justice & Home Affairs Committee on citizenship and immigration, January 2026.
Research cited in the House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Participation report (2018), paras. 461–462, 468–469, 476.
Cited in the House of Lords Liaison Committee report (2022), paras. 107–108, 111.
Cited in the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee report (2022), paras. 2, 8, 11, 13, 18, 35, 40, 42, 44.
Research informed the Law Commission of England & Wales Simplification of the Immigration Rules (2020) and its inquiry into electronic border management.
Cited by the Electoral Commission on the EU referendum question; proposed wording accepted by government and implemented in the 2016 referendum.
Formally thanked in Parliament for supporting the Home Office on implementation of the National Security Act 2023.
Scholarship on capital punishment cited by the Connecticut Supreme Court in its majority decision to abolish the death penalty (2015).
Citizenship & Integration Policy
A leading advocate for reform of the Life in the UK test, citizenship education and integration strategy, with research directly informing parliamentary inquiry and government review.
Becoming British: UK Citizenship Examined (Biteback, 2016) — described by Prime Minister Keir Starmer as ‘a very good and thought-provoking read’.
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) that prompted parliamentary and government scrutiny of the test.
‘Like a bad pub quiz’ follow-up report on errors, monitoring and test centre inspections (2023).
Media commentary on citizenship reform: The Guardian, BBC News, Sky News and others.
Criminal justice & punishment
Research combining philosophical analysis with legal and policy application, informing debates on sentencing, rehabilitation and the ethics of punishment.
Punishment: A Critical Introduction, 2nd ed. (Routledge, 2021) a leading academic text on punishment theory and practice.
‘Unified theory of punishment’ named one of the Top 100 Big Ideas for the Future by Research Councils UK.
Evidence submitted to Ministry of Justice consultations and the UK Sentencing Review.
Cited by the Connecticut Supreme Court in its decision to abolish capital punishment
Available for
Get in touch · Full CV (pdf) · Speaking engagements · Publications