About

Dr Natalie Byrom is a researcher and policy adviser with expertise in justice system reform, data-driven technologies and data governance. She has a track record of leading high quality research and translating this into meaningful policy impact. Between 2018 and 2020 Dr Byrom was seconded to the UK Ministry of Justice as expert adviser on data in the context of an ongoing £1bn programme of digital court reform. The recommendations arising from her secondment are currently being implemented by government. Her report led to the creation of new mechanisms for monitoring the impact of digitisation on access to justice and reforms to justice data governance. Dr Byrom’s research for HMCTS on models of data governance led to the creation of a new Senior Data Governance Panel, to advise the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice on novel issues arising sharing and use of justice data. Her report also resulted in the historically unprecedented decision to create a state-funded and administered repository of court judgments, widening public access to the judgments and decisions of the courts in England and Wales and creating new opportunities for research and innovation.

Dr Byrom has given evidence to a number of parliamentary committees including the Justice Select Committee (open justice and court capacity) and the House of Lords Constitution Committee on issues relating to justice system reform, data collection, sharing and governance. Her writing on these issues has been published in the legal and national press and her speaking engagements reflect her status as a thought leader on these topics. She is part of the BBC Expert Women Network and currently holds a number of public appointments, membership of the Ministry of Justice’s Senior Data Governance Panel, and the Civil Justice Council, where she was appointed in 2022 as member for information architecture and econometrics. Read more

Roles and appointments

Honorary Senior Research Fellow, UCL Faculty of Laws

Dr Byrom was appointed to this role in June 2023. Whilst at UCL she will continue her research and advocacy to improve the quality and availability of justice system data. Her research will focus on exploring the implications of data driven technologies for access to justice, and investigating new models for enhancing the role of the public in justice data governance.

Senior Data Governance Panel, Ministry of Justice
In 2023 Dr Byrom was appointed to the Senior Data Governance Panel - a new body created to advise the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice on access to and the use of courts and tribunals data. The role of the panel is to support the Judiciary and the Ministry of Justice to make the best possible use of data, ensuring that court data use enhances open justice, upholds the independence of the judiciary, supports the rule of law and maintains public confidence in the justice system.

Advisory Board Member, The 21st Century Justice Project, The Law Society of England and Wales

In March 2023 Dr Byrom was appointed to the Expert Advisory Board for this project which aims to improve access to the civil justice system in England and Wales. The project focusses on five key areas, i.) addressing power imbalances in alternative dispute resolution, ii.) helping small businesses and individuals not eligible for legal aid to meet legal costs, iii.) the role of solicitors in the digitisation of the justice system, iv.) big data and access to justice and v.) civil legal aid.

Member for Information Architecture and Econometrics, Civil Justice Council
In 2022 Dr Byrom was appointed to the Civil Justice Council, an Advisory Public Body whose statutory duty is to review the civil justice system and make recommendations to the Lord Chancellor, the Judiciary and the Civil Procedure Rules Committee on the development of the civil justice system to make it more accessible, fair and efficient.

Data Expert, Family Justice Transparency Implementation Group

In December 2021 Dr Byrom was appointed as Data Expert by the President of the Family Division to this group which is taking forward proposals to improve the transparency of and public trust and confidence in the operation of the family justice system.

Independent Expert, The Independent Criminal Legal Aid Review, Ministry of Justice

In January 2021 Dr Byrom was appointed by the Lord Chancellor to a panel of independent experts tasked with supporting the independent reviewer of Criminal Legal Aid in the delivery of his report reviewing the criminal legal aid system across England and Wales.

Member, The Legal Support Advisory Group, Ministry of Justice

In February 2019 Dr Byrom was appointed to this group which advises the Ministry of Justice on the implementation and evaluation of the Legal Support Action Plan- a policy programme intended to address the negative consequences created by the withdrawal of public funding for legal aid.

Member, The Administrative Justice Council

In April 2018 Dr Byrom was appointed by the Senior President of Tribunals to the Administrative Justice Council, a body which oversees the administrative justice system across the UK and advises government, including the devolved governments, on the development of that system. In 2022 she was elected to the Steering Group.