Skip to main content

Staff profile

Overview

Professor Thom Brooks

Principal

Affiliations
AffiliationTelephone
Principal of Collingwood College+44 (0) 191 33 44365
Chair in Law, Ethics and Government in the Durham Law School+44 (0) 191 33 44365
Associate in the Department of Philosophy 
Member of the Durham Law School
Associate in the School of Government and International Affairs

Biography

Professor Thom Brooks

 

THOM BROOKS is a 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
Prof Thom Brooks at House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee

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.

Research & scholarship
Brooks books

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.

Teaching

Asylum, Immigration and Nationality Law and Policy

Criminal Law

History of Ideas

Jurisprudence & Political Philosophy

Law and Public Policy

Punishment 

UK Constitutional Law

Awards and Distinctions

Durham University Awards

  • Dean’s Award, Durham Law School, 2022
  • Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award, Durham University, 2016
  • Law Teacher of the Year, Durham Law School, 2015
  • Lecturer of the Year, Faculty of Social Sciences and Health, 2014
  • Outstanding Contributions to Media Award, Faculty of Social Sciences and Health, 2013
Education
  • Ph.D. in Philosophy, University of Sheffield, Department of Philosophy
  • M.A. in Philosophy, University College Dublin, School of Philosophy
  • M.A. in Political Science, Arizona State University, School of Politics and Global Studies
  • B.A. Music and Political Science (dual major), William Paterson University of New Jersey, Department of Music and Department of Political Science

Research interests

  • British Politics
  • Capabilities
  • Citizenship
  • Constitutional Law
  • Criminal Law
  • Global Justice & Human Rights
  • Immigration Law & Policy
  • Labour Party
  • Law & Public Policy
  • Penal Theory & Ethics
  • Political & Legal Philosophy
  • Restorative Justice

Esteem Indicators

  • 2022: Jenny Jeger Prize:
  • 2022: Principal Fellow, Higher Education Academy:
  • 2022: Visiting Professor, LUISS Guido Carli:
  • 2021: Executive Committee, Society of Labour Lawyers:
  • 2021: Executive Committee, Fabian Society:
  • 2021: Member, Committee on Public Philosophy, American Philosophical Association:
  • 2021: Elected Member, Academia Europaea:
  • 2021: Member, Office for National Statistics (ONS) cross-Government Statistical Service (GSS) Migration Expert Group:
  • 2021: Member, European Law Institute:
  • 2021: Chair, LNAT (National Admissions Test for Law) Consortium:
  • 2021: Trustee, British Institute for International and Comparative Law (BIICL): Member, Finance and Audit Committee, BIICL

     

  • 2020: Academic Visitor, University of Chicago Law School:
  • 2020: Visiting Professor, LUISS Guido Carli:
  • 2020: Director, Labour Academic Network:
  • 2020: President, Society of Legal Scholars:
  • 2020: President, Society of Legal Scholars:
  • 2019: Visiting Professor, University of Nice (Cote d'Azur):
  • 2019: Academic Visitor, University of Pennsylvania Law School:
  • 2019: Visiting Scholar, Bioethics, New York University:
  • 2019: Visiting Scholar, Columbia Law School, Columbia University:
  • 2019: Vice President, Society of Legal Scholars:
  • 2018: Academic Bencher, The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple:
  • 2017: Distinguished Alumni Award, Arizona State University:
  • 2015: Visitor, Harvard Law School, Harvard University:
  • 2015: Visiting Fellow, Yale Law School, Yale University:
  • 2012: Visiting Scholarship, St John's College, Oxford:
  • 2012: Fellow, Royal Society of Arts:
  • 2011: Visiting Fellow, Department of Government, Uppsala University:
  • 2010: Fellow, Royal Historical Society:
  • 2010: Academic Visitor, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford:
  • 2009: Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences:
  • 2009: Chair, Committee on Philosophy and Law, American Philosophical Association: Served as Chair from 2009-2012
  • 2008: Secretary, Association for Political Thought (UK): Secretary (2008-2012) of founding committee
  • 2006: Member of the Council, Hegel Society of Great Britain:
  • 2006: Executive Board Member, Political Studies Association: Executive Board Member (2006-2009)
  • 2004: Visiting Fellow, CEPPA, Philosophy, University of St Andrews:

Publications

Authored book

Chapter in book

  • The Problem of Hegel's Problem of Poverty
    Brooks, T. (2025). The Problem of Hegel’s Problem of Poverty. In M. Beech & K. Hickson (Eds.), Idea of the Good Society Essays in Honour of Raymond Plant (pp. 8-21). https://doi.org/10.1093/9780191983627.003.0002
  • Citizenship Tests
    Brooks, T. (2025). Citizenship Tests. In The Routledge Handbook of the Ethics of Immigration (pp. 201-210). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003037309-22
  • The Relevance of State Misconduct for Mitigating Punishment
    Brooks, T. (2025). The Relevance of State Misconduct for Mitigating Punishment. In J. V. Roberts, J. Ryberg, & L. Zaibert (Eds.), Responding to the Culpable State: Is Sentence Mitigation Appropriate? (pp. 131-144). Hart.
  • Philosophical Disagreement and Public Policy Making
    Brooks, T. (2025). Philosophical Disagreement and Public Policy Making. In M. Baghramian, J. Adam Carter, & R. Cosker-Rowland (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Disagreement (pp. 459-468). Routledge.
  • Cruel and Unusual Punishment
    Brooks, T. (2024). Cruel and Unusual Punishment. In J. Ryberg (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Philosophy of Punishment (pp. 275-286). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197750506.013.17
  • Immigration and Nationality
    Brooks, T. (2024). Immigration and Nationality. In C. Atkinson, T. Brooks, & D. Drew (Eds.), British Legal Reform: An Agenda for Change (pp. 188-201). Policy Press.
  • A “Global” Global Justice Theory
    Brooks, T. (2024). A “Global” Global Justice Theory. In J. Salamon & H. Lee (Eds.), The Bloomsbury Handbook of Global Justice and East Asian Philosophy (pp. 15-28). Bloomsbury.
  • Hegel’s Contextual Theory of Freedom: How “the Free Will Wills the Free Will”
    Brooks, T. (2024). Hegel’s Contextual Theory of Freedom: How “the Free Will Wills the Free Will”. In P. Diego Bubbio & A. Buchwalter (Eds.), Justice and Freedom in Hegel (pp. 29-39). Routledge.
  • Punishment
    Brooks, T. (2023). Punishment. In D. Pritchard (Ed.), Oxford Bibliographies in Philosophy. Oxford University Press.
  • Punitive Restoration
    Brooks, T. (2023). Punitive Restoration. In M. C. Altman (Ed.), Palgrave Handbook on the Philosophy of Punishment (pp. 639-656). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11874-6_29
  • Why Should Guilty Pleas Matter?
    Brooks, T. (2023). Why Should Guilty Pleas Matter? In J. V. Roberts & J. Ryberg (Eds.), Sentencing the Self-Convicted: The Ethics of Pleading Guilty (pp. 127-150). Hart Publishing.
  • British Idealism
    Brooks, T. (2023). British Idealism. In D. Pritchard (Ed.), Oxford Bibliographies in Philosophy. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780195396577-0015
  • Taking the System Seriously: On the Importance of "Objective Spirit" for Hegel's Philosophy of Right
    Brooks, T. (2021). Taking the System Seriously: On the Importance of "Objective Spirit" for Hegel’s Philosophy of Right. In S. Stein & J. Wretzel (Eds.), Hegel’s Encyclopedia of the Philosophical Sciences: A Critical Guide (pp. 203-215). Cambridge University Press.
  • Capabilities, Freedom and Severe Poverty
    Brooks, T. (2020). Capabilities, Freedom and Severe Poverty. In T. Brooks (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Global Justice (pp. 174-186). Oxford University Press.
  • Saving Multiculturalism with Stakeholding: Hegel and the Challenges of Pluralism
    Brooks, T. (2020). Saving Multiculturalism with Stakeholding: Hegel and the Challenges of Pluralism. In J. Gledhill & S. Stein (Eds.), Hegel and Contemporary Practical Philosophy: Beyond Kantian Constructivism (pp. 305-317). Routledge.
  • Retribution
    Brooks, T. (2020). Retribution. In F. Focquaert, E. Shaw, & B. N. Waller (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy and Science of Punishment (pp. 18-25). Routledge.
  • Climate Change Ethics and the Problem of End-State Solutions
    Brooks, T. (2020). Climate Change Ethics and the Problem of End-State Solutions. In T. Brooks (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of Global Justice (pp. 211-224). Oxford University Press.
  • Shame on you, shame on me? Nussbaum on shame punishment
    Brooks, T. (2019). Shame on you, shame on me? Nussbaum on shame punishment. In T. Brooks (Ed.), Shame Punishment (pp. 339-351). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315243290-9
  • The Life in the UK citizenship test and the urgent need for its reform
    Brooks, T. (2019). The Life in the UK citizenship test and the urgent need for its reform. In Citizenship in Times of Turmoil?: Theory, Practice and Policy (pp. 22-60). https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788119207.00009
  • The Life in the UK citizenship test and the urgent need for its reform
    Brooks, T. (2019). The Life in the UK citizenship test and the urgent need for its reform. In D. Prabhat (Ed.), Citizenship in Times of Turmoil?: Theory, Practice and Policy (pp. 22-60). Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788119214
  • Hegel's Philosophy of Law
    Brooks, T. (2017). Hegel’s Philosophy of Law. In D. Moyar (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of Hegel. (pp. 453-474). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199355228.013.21
  • Hegel on Crime and Punishment
    Brooks, T. (2017). Hegel on Crime and Punishment. In T. Brooks & S. Stein (Eds.), Hegel’s political philosophy : on the normative significance of method and system. (pp. 202-221). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198778165.003.0011
  • Beyond Reason: The Legal Importance of Emotions
    Brooks, T., & Sankey, D. (2017). Beyond Reason: The Legal Importance of Emotions. In P. Capps & S. Pattinson (Eds.), Ethical rationalism and the law. (pp. 131-148). Hart Publishing.
  • Punitive Restoration: Giving the Public a Say on Sentencing
    Brooks, T. (2016). Punitive Restoration: Giving the Public a Say on Sentencing. In A. Dzur, I. Loader, & R. Sparks (Eds.), Democratic theory and mass incarceration. (pp. 140-161). Oxford University Press.
  • Leadership and Stakeholding
    Brooks, T. (2015). Leadership and Stakeholding. In J. Boaks & M. Levine (Eds.), Leadership and ethics. (pp. 199-201). Bloomsbury Academic.
  • Why save the planet?
    Brooks, T. (2015). Why save the planet? In T. Brooks (Ed.), Current Controversies in Political Philosophy (pp. 138-147).
  • Introduction: Political philosophy: Current controversies
    Brooks, T. (2015). Introduction: Political philosophy: Current controversies. In T. Brooks (Ed.), Current Controversies in Political Philosophy (pp. 1-14).
  • The Capabilities Approach and Political Liberalism
    Brooks, T. (2015). The Capabilities Approach and Political Liberalism. In T. Brooks & M. C. Nussbaum (Eds.), Rawls’s political liberalism. (pp. 139-174). Columbia University Press.
  • Ethical Citizenship and the Stakeholder Society
    Brooks, T. (2014). Ethical Citizenship and the Stakeholder Society. In T. Brooks (Ed.), Ethical citizenship : British idealism and the politics of recognition. (pp. 125-138). Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Alcohol, Risk and Public Policy
    Brooks, T. (2014). Alcohol, Risk and Public Policy. In T. Brooks (Ed.), Alcohol and public policy. (pp. 27-33). Routledge.
  • Stakeholder Sentencing
    Brooks, T. (2014). Stakeholder Sentencing. In J. Ryberg & J. V. Roberts (Eds.), Popular punishment : on the normative significance of public opinion. (pp. 183-203). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof%3Aoso/9780199941377.003.0010
  • Democracy
    Brooks, T. (2014). Democracy. In D. Pritchard (Ed.), Oxford Bibliographies in Philosophy. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780195396577-0161
  • Juvenile offenders
    Brooks, T. (2014). Juvenile offenders. In T. Brooks (Ed.), Juvenile Offending (pp. 97-117). Routledge.
  • Capabilities
    Brooks, T. (2013). Capabilities. In H. LaFollette (Ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Ethics (pp. 692-698). Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444367072.wbiee624
  • Citizenship
    Brooks, T. (2013). Citizenship. In H. LaFollette (Ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Ethics (pp. 764-773). Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444367072.wbiee632
  • Bernard Williams, republicanism, and the liberalism of fear : problems and prospects
    Brooks, T. (2013). Bernard Williams, republicanism, and the liberalism of fear : problems and prospects. In C. Herrera & A. Perry (Eds.), The moral philosophy of Bernard Williams. (pp. 107-113). Cambridge Scholars.
  • Criminal Harms
    Brooks, T. (2013). Criminal Harms. In T. Brooks (Ed.), Law and Legal Theory (pp. 149-161). Brill Academic Publishers.
  • Global Justice and Politics
    Brooks, T. (2013). Global Justice and Politics. In F. D’Agostino & J. Gaus (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Social and Political Philosophy (pp. 517-525). Routledge.
  • Natural Law Internalism
    Brooks, T. (2012). Natural Law Internalism. In T. Brooks (Ed.), Hegel’s Philosophy of Right (pp. 167-179). Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444354256.ch7
  • Between Statism and Cosmopolitanism: Hegel and the Possibility of Global Justice
    Brooks, T. (2012). Between Statism and Cosmopolitanism: Hegel and the Possibility of Global Justice. In A. Buchwalter (Ed.), Hegel and Global Justice (pp. 65-83). Springer Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8996-0_4
  • The problem with polygamy
    Brooks, T. (2012). The problem with polygamy. In T. Brooks (Ed.), Justice and the Capabilities Approach (pp. 377-390). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315251240-9
  • Hegel and the Unified Theory of Punishment
    Brooks, T. (2012). Hegel and the Unified Theory of Punishment. In T. Brooks (Ed.), Hegel’s Philosophy of Right (pp. 103-123). Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444354256.ch4
  • Retribution and Capital Punishment
    Brooks, T. (2011). Retribution and Capital Punishment. In M. D. White (Ed.), Retributivism: Essays on Theory and Policy (pp. 232-245). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof%3Aoso/9780199752232.003.0013
  • What Did the British Idealists Ever Do for Us?
    Brooks, T. (2011). What Did the British Idealists Ever Do for Us? In T. Brooks (Ed.), New Waves in Ethics (pp. 28-47). Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel: Philosophy of Politics
    Brooks, T. (2010). Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel: Philosophy of Politics. In Oxford Bibliographies Online: Philosophy. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780195396577-0052
  • Punishment and British Idealism
    Brooks, T. (2010). Punishment and British Idealism. In J. Ryberg & J. A. Corlett (Eds.), Punishment and Ethics: New Perspectives (pp. 16-32). Palgrave Macmillan.
  • The right to trial by jury
    Brooks, T. (2009). The right to trial by jury. In T. Brooks (Ed.), The Right to a Fair Trial (pp. 83-98). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315085401-3
  • Muirhead, Hetherington, and Mackenzie
    Brooks, T. (2009). Muirhead, Hetherington, and Mackenzie. In W. Sweet (Ed.), The Moral, Social and Political Philosophy of the British Idealists (pp. 209-232). Imprint Academic.
  • A defence of jury nullification
    Brooks, T. (2009). A defence of jury nullification. In T. Brooks (Ed.), The Right to a Fair Trial (pp. 225-247). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315085401-7
  • Is Plato's Political Thought Anti-Democratic
    Brooks, T. (2008). Is Plato’s Political Thought Anti-Democratic. In E. Kofmel (Ed.), Anti-Democratic Thought (pp. 17-33). Imprint Academic.
  • Human Rights
    Brooks, T. (2007). Human Rights. In M. Bevir (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Governance (pp. 423-428). SAGE.
  • The Reception of Hegel in Britain
    Brooks, T. (2006). The Reception of Hegel in Britain. In A. Grayling & A. Pyle (Eds.), The Encyclopedia of British Philosophy (pp. 1424-1425). Thoemmes Continuum.
  • HART, Herbert Lionel Adolphus (1907-92)
    Brooks, T. (2005). HART, Herbert Lionel Adolphus (1907-92). In S. Brown (Ed.), The Dictionary of Twentieth-Century British Philosophers: Volume 1,2 (pp. 389-391). Bloomsbury.
  • Herbert Lionel Adolphus Hart
    Brooks, T. (2005). Herbert Lionel Adolphus Hart. In S. Brown (Ed.), Dictionary of Twentieth Century British Philosophers (pp. 389-391). Thoemmes Continuum.
  • Introduction
    Brooks, T., & Freyenhagen, F. (2005). Introduction. In T. Brooks & F. Freyenhagen (Eds.), The Legacy of John Rawls (pp. 1-21). Continuum.
  • Why Hegel Matters
    Brooks, T. (n.d.). Why Hegel Matters. In A. Alexander Davis & S. Rand (Eds.), New Perspectives on Hegel’s Philosophy of Right [Contracted by publisher]. Bloomsbury.

Edited book

Journal Article

Monograph

Other (Print)

Supervision students

Aby Eiluorior

Tutorials (Ptt)

Abu Reza

Gianluca Andresani

Hayley Whitaker

Jianxuan Hu

Lucy Crighton